Wok Star Eleanor Hoh

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Eleanor Hoh

Swordfish: Wok Fried or Grilled

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Wok Fried Swordfish with Swiss Chard,
garbanzo beans and quinoa.

Side of chayote and carrot pickle.

Grilled Swordfish with Purple Swiss Chard
and quinoa.

Marinaded Swordfish with olive oil, lime juice,

ginger, garlic & dried basil

Place Swordfish nuggets on metal grid to grill

Stir fry zucchini, carrots with garlic and ginger.

Added Swordfish to Lobster Bisque.
Sides: pickles and stir fried veggies, wholewheat toast

Whenever I’ve ordered Swordfish in restaurants, I’ve always been disappointed. It’s not only expensive but dry and bland. Oh, they got it blackened alright but the interior has no flavor, you might as well eat a cardboard box! So, when I saw Swordfish nuggets recently, I thought I’d experiment as they were a quarter of the price of a whole steak and looked good. Even if I ruined the nuggets, it wouldn’t break the bank. I decided to wok fry some, grill some and just add to some store bought lobster bisque. These techniques would give me 3 different textures.

As usual, I surfed the net to see how to tackle this fish. Most recipes suggest marinading in olive oil and grilling. I’m all about technique, when you know the ‘why’ of something, it’s easy. Olive oil is supposed to keep the fish tender, that was a no brainer. Done! I also added my usual, TSPC marinade (tamari, sherry, pepper, cornstarch for any kind of protein incl. toufu) for the fish that were fried in my cast iron wok and grilled.

Ha, I just remembered Mark Bittman recently mentioned his NPR segment: Fish Debate: Fresh or Frozen. Great information. So, that’s what I think must’ve been the problem, Swordfish I had were previously frozen! Freezing fish changes its texture, the only way round this is this fabulous tip I learned that prevents freezer burn! Bittman mentioned an alternative method: eliminating air but it’s more difficult to accomplish. Next time you see Swordfish, try it. I was pleasantly surprised at how tender and creamy it was, very similar to bass.

Many who’ve tried my tip agree it’s the closest thing to fresh fish! And that was from some Chinese friends who are very particular about their fish. In Asia, fish is mostly sold still swimming, that’s how fresh we like it. Here’s a photo I ‘fished’ out from my Hong Kong trip.

Don’t let bad experiences prevent you from experimenting and open your mind to new ways of doing things. As the saying goes, “the way you do anything is the way you do everything!” Any fish stories you want to share?

Indomania Rijsttafel at Miami River Wall (Updated)

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Beef Rendang

Achar pickles.
Indomania Chef Ineke”s Rijsttafel at Miami River Wall
You can tell everyone enjoyed with empty plates!!

LATEST UPDATE :
Join us for an intimate, sit down 12-dish Indonesian Feast in north end of Miami Beach…
Monday, July 12:7pm. Call NOW, only 32 seats for lucky ones.
Mandatory RSVP & prepayment, click for complete details.

What a lovely way to spend a cool evening, meeting new people and enjoying Indomania Chef Ineke’s exotic Indonesian Rijsttafel at Miami River Wall! The evening was being filmed for Fox Style File news anchor, Belkys Nerey. Don’t blink or you’ll miss me, my husband got more airtime than I did, sniff, sniff. You can hear me though, I have a slight British accent. I also got a chance to video Chef Ineke when she sat down to finally eat her own dinner. If you want to celebrate a special catered event at Miami River Wall, contact them to arrange. It’s a beautiful setting inside with the two exquisite hydroponic vertical plant and herb walls and a back garden right on the river. You can see more where I posted about my Wok Star cooking classes held there.

Very few Miami restaurants serving Asian food give me the “experience” of wanting to be there. It doesn’t have to be fancy, in fact, often that’s a turn off cause you know you’re paying for the decor. On the other hand, many Asian restaurants (in my humble opinion) do not showcase the beauty of Asia in their decor or in their food. Indomania has succeeded in giving me both. When you walk in, you feel transported. The little touches with the batik tablecloth and the beautiful photos (Pieter is a photographer) all make it very personal.

Chef Ineke and her husband Pieter designed their restaurant as if it’s their own dining room. It’s small, cozy and intimate. They come over to chat with you, I know it’s not realistic when it’s busy but I felt truly special to be able to connect with the chef who just made my dinner. Unfortunately, I ate at their restaurant way before I started food blogging so not much photos to show the space so you’ll just have to go and ‘experience’ yourself. Everyone I’ve sent there agree they ‘love’ it too and keep going back.

When Ralph and I went, we shared a small Rijsttafel (see LOTS more photos) which gave us a tasting platter. But during the Miami River Wall feast, we got to taste a lot more and everything was spot on especially her Beef Rendang and Achar pickles. As you may or may not know, my mother was born in Singapore, so I grew up eating many of these foods. Eating at Indomania Restaurant always brings back wonderful memories for me. That’s what food is supposed to do – give you memories and associations. It’s what I tell people when I present my Wok Star cooking classes, it’s not just about the cooking, it’s about creating experiences and memories with people you enjoy!

I hope to organize a Hoh Wok Club gathering at Indomania soon and introduce you to Chef Ineke’s fabulous Indonesian food. But if you can’t wait, go, enjoy and tell Chef Ineke and Pieter you heard it from me.

P.S. Sorry about all the photos bunched together, but still learning new Blogger “editor” and after uploading photos, couldn’t get them to separate to put the text in, so frustrating! I think it’s obvious what the dishes are.

Here are more reviews of Indomania!
All Purpose Dark
Food for Thought
New Times Dining Review

Wok Curry Beef

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Wok Curry Beef – combining my 2 heritages
My mom is from S’pore and 
dad is Hakka but born in Malacca

Join me to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage month and cook up a simple Wok Curry Beef!

Thanks to New Asian Cuisine, a beautiful site that promotes the best in Asian culture and cuisine, who invited me to do a guest post. Do subscribe to their weekly newsletter, their site has good resources as well as delightful dishes from all over Asia.  For my full “recipe”, visit New Asian Cuisine – Wok Curry Beef

My step-by-step photos and TIPS to make a quick, weeknight dish taste Asian after the jump:

TIP 1: GET ORGANIZED so dinner is quick 
I put my Asian seasonings in cute dispensers organized inside my caddy basket. Put your curry powder in a cheese shaker so it’s easy to sprinkle!  Instead of bouncing round the kitchen looking for this and that, I take out ONE item from the fridge. 

 TIP 2: SAVE TIME and keeps counter tidy.
Trap grocery bag under chopping board and flip trimmings onto it, wrap up and throw in trash – EASY! 

TIP 3: DECLUTTER – A wok is so versatile

I use mine to parboil my beans, it’s the perfect shape and size. I just dry it out after using with water and the minute you start frying in it, its natural non-stick surface will build back up!

  TIP 4: CONVENIENCE makes cooking FUN
An electric stove shouldn’t prevent you from wok cooking!  NO, NO. I set my cast iron wok and my portable butane gas stove right on top of my electric coil stove. I leave this setup out at all times so it’s convenient. If you don’t see it, you won’t use it. Use your wok not just for Asian stir frys but everything.

TIP 5:  SUBSTITUTE if you don’t have an ingredient!  
Wok Stars aren’t afraid to substitute! Just because you don’t have an ingredient, don’t let it prevent you from making the dish. So, use veggies you already have in your fridge or whatever you like. 
 You don’t need 2 woks to do this. 
My husband calls it Stereo Wokery!
Cooking Asian doesn’t mean you have to use just Asian veggies. By adding a few Asian seasonings, you’ll give your dish an Asian twist. Is the word “Asian” used enough in one paragraph?  ENJOY!!