Wok Star Eleanor Hoh

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Shanti Christensen's Book Giveaway and Umami Kale (updated)

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Book Giveaway details below, ends tonight Sunday, April 16: 12am ET, good luck! 

If you crave real home cooked Chinese food, you can win Shanti Christensen’s book, “Family Style Chinese Cookbook: Authentic Recipes from My Culinary Journey Through China!” (see details below!) It’s a MUST.  Shanti’s quest to learn authentic Chinese cooking led her into 40 families’ homes over a 3 year period and culminated in this treasure trove of family recipes. Her superb story telling makes us feel like an extended family, privy to secrets that have been passed down for generations.

You’ll learn about Chinese traditions, the importance of family and with meager ingredients, you can cook up feasts. Lamb Fried Rice Xinjiang Style (p.161) and Braised Pork Ribs in Aromatic Sauce (p.111), umm, not bad bedtime reading or to dream about.

Simple, no frills recipes. They won’t intimidate you or make you keel over with impossible-to-find ingredients like many Chinese cookbooks. My favorite part of the book?  Reading Shanti’s endearing stories about the families gave me a sense of what life was like in China. I was born in China and left when only 9 months old. 

You can experience more of Shanti’s China trip here.

And if you’re lucky enough to live in San Francisco,
she produces outrageous popup dinners serving dishes from all over Asia.

To celebrate this book giveaway, I chose Shanti’s Stewed Kale (p.156) because the day I wanted to experiment from her book, that’s all I had in the fridge. And I loved that because it reflects my whole philosophy of using what you have and make the best and tastiest dish you can!

Creating a sauce to put over veggies is a very efficient way of adding flavor
to a big batch of veggies and gives them a different texture and flavor. 

As always, I couldn’t help being a Wok Star and put my personal spin on it… 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. kale (ready washed and torn into pieces)
Grape seed oil
Sesame oil

Sauce:
1 tsp Koon Chun brown bean sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp i.e. few dashes of sherry
1 tbsp i.e. few dashes of tamari
1/4 cup chicken broth

METHOD…

  1. Combine all sauce ingredients in bowl
  2. Heat cast iron wok till hot, add sauce and fry till fragrant
  3. Immediately add kale and cover with sauce.  Add broth, tamari and sherry.
  4. Cook till kale is wilted, taste for doneness, if not enough sauce, add a little more broth and cook till tender.

This kale goes well with ANYTHING.
I’d love to hear about some of your favorite ways for preparing kale in the comments.

Ready for Book Giveaway?  Keeping it simple, here you go:

1.  Subscribe to my free newsletter in right sidebar —->
2.  Follow Shanti Christensen on Instagram @showshanti
3.  Follow Eleanor Hoh on Instagram @wokstar and leave comment on Book Giveaway post
4.  Leave a comment below why you deserve to win Shanti’s cookbooks?  Then email me eh at eleanorhoh dot com so I have your email if you win.
5.  Eligibility:  Only for United States residents. Closing date:  Sunday, April 16 , 12 am ET. Check back here for winner announcements Monday, April 17.
6.  A random winner will be picked and contacted via email. Respond ASAP, otherwise I will pick the next winner.
7.  Your book will be sent directly to you, good luck everyone!

If you didn’t win, you can still buy Shanti’s cookbook here. 

Want more ideas for vegetable dishes?…

Simple Kale Stir Fry

Three Ingredient Broccolini

How about more Kale recipes?

Serious Eats: 15 Kale recipes

All the Kale Recipes You’ll Ever Need

Umami Stewed Kale

Wok Charred Brussels Sprouts from Chris Kimball's Milk Street Magazine

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Wok Charred Brussels Sprouts will turn Brussels Sprouts haters into LOVING them and vegetable eaters into die hard Brussels Sprout addicts!  They have 3 qualities I always talk about: flavor, texture, color in that order. Wok Charring is a fail proof technique that’s quick and easy and will get you perfect results every time. Wok Charred Brussels Sprouts go with anything whether it’s a western dish with meatloaf, BBQ ribs or an Asian cheat dinner like mine with Mui Choy Pork Belly and Roast Duck, see below.

Tada, the yummiest wok charred brussels sprouts!
Tada, the yummiest wok charred brussels sprouts!
I learned how to make Wok Charred Brussels Sprouts from the charter issue of Milk Street magazine, published by Christopher Kimball, yes, that Christopher Kimball. Ex-America’s Test Kitchen TV and radio show host and the man behind Cooks Illustrated that pivoted him into the stratosphere of a “cooking god!” Below is the recipe by kind permission from Milk Street’s Editorial Director, J.M. Hirsch (previously AP food editor.)
If you hurry, you can still get a free charter issue and yearly subscription discount here.

MilkStreetMag-ChristoperKimball
You’ll want to hear more about his new project, Milk Street Kitchen, it’s very exciting because we share a lot of the same philosophies and the project deserves a separate post, working on that.
Cooking isn’t about following a recipe, so don’t just skip to the “recipe,” take a moment to understand WHY certain ingredients or techniques are used.  When you understand WHY,  you will have more chance of success and this is one philosophy Chris Kimball and I share!  I’ve made Wok Charred Brussels Sprouts three times, all were successful and delish. My hubby whose my tester adores Brussels Sprouts devoured them and couldn’t stop saying, umm…
What you need to know…
1. Smaller is better…
Cutting sprouts smaller creates more surface area = more charring = more flavor!  I pride myself as a Wok Star to think and do things outside of the norm but I didn’t think of the obvious which is to cut them smaller so they cook faster, what a revelation, it changed the whole cooking process and flavor profile.
2. What ingredients do…
– lemon juice “wakes” up any ingredient and make it shine
– honey caramelizes and gives charring color, however, I used only half of honey in recipe and didn’t add honey at the end, I find honey/sugar masks the natural flavors of vegetables, we like vegetables with a bit of bite.
– extra-virgin olive oil handles high heat
– pepper flakes gives a wonderful kick but do NOT include at beginning of your stir fry or fry in oil, they will gag you, sprinkle in at the end
3. Wok Star Way
– adapt to the recipe with what you have e.g. I had no anchovy, so I used fish sauce for umami flavor or use tamari.
– no fresh lemons, try a sprinkle of rice vinegar which has a sweetness or just leave out
4. Wok Char vs grilling vs oven roast
– a lightweight, round bottom cast iron wok is BEST for charring sprouts, its wide opening and shape makes it easier to move sprouts around vs a flat skillet
– a steel spatula used with a wok can turn lots of sprouts vs using tongs to flip each sprout
– wok charring give sprouts an even and overall char vs grilling which has hot spots and oven roasting for me has never resulted in crispy sprouts, maybe it’s my oven.
WokChar-BrusselsSprouts-porkbellyHere’s recipe…
MilkStreetMag-BrusselsSprouts-recipe
I eliminated step 2 (frying the seasonings) and 4 (adding more honey etc.) altogether and tossed sprouts in bowl with everything except garlic which I added to the oil with some shredded ginger like I always do when I stir fry vegetables.
I’d love to hear how your Wok Charred Brussels Sprouts turn out, whether you’re using Milk Street Magazine’s complete recipe or used some of my tips?
Here’s a short video to show just how fast those sprouts cooked!
How about trying my Ginger Honey Brussels Sprouts, it’s hard not to compare with charred version, trust me!
WokChar-BrusselsSprouts-beefstew
Wok Charred Brussels Sprouts with a bowl of spicy beef stew!
Perfect side to King Palace's Mui Choy Pork Belly and roast duck from P.K. Market. These sprouts would go well with any dish but especially grilled ribs, umm!
Wok Charred Brussels Sprouts, a perfect side to King Palace’s Mui Choy Pork Belly and roast duck from P.K. Market. Yes, a cheat dinner. These sprouts would go well with any dish but especially grilled ribs, umm!
 
 
 
 

Easy Dinner: Grilled Duck, Stir Fry Brussels Sprouts

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This easy weeknight dinner idea involves a little cheating and ghee.  Duck may seem a rather opulent weeknight dinner but it’s really not. Grilling duck while stir frying brussels sprouts will get your dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes AND you’ll be showered with loads of compliments!  At least, that’s what happens every time I serve duck.
WokStar-duck-brusselsprouts
Ready cooked meats…but good ones without processed chemicals is key to success with the cheating and Costco carries some really good ones.  Some I’ve tried are octopus, Carnitas and of course Maple Leaf Farm ready cooked Duck, it’s actually cheaper at Costco than buying directly from them!
Notes on duck, ghee and wok…
Duck is very rich, so you only need half a duck for 2 people, it’s all meat, no bones at only $8.  The duck comes in 2 half portions with orange sauce for about $15.99, so no more paying $27 at a restaurant for half a duck.
Ghee, clarified butter is excellent for a stir fry, it can handle high heat, coats your meat or veggies with a glossy sheen and makes everything taste good.  This article, 15 Amazing Benefits of Ghee will change all the misconceptions about it and if you want to make ghee yourself,  take an Ayurvedic cooking class with my chef friend, Sabrina Dora Lopez of Vesta Foods, it was amazingly easy.  The Truth About Fats and Oils will debunk all the old myths, read this.
Please do NOT use a nonstick pan or nonstick wok to cook in, it cannot handle high heat!  If you don’t have one of my lightweight, thin walled cast iron wok and gas stove setup, I’d rather you use a stainless steel pan or even pot to stir fry in.
Ingredients:
2-4 cloves garlic and 2 slices ginger shredded
6 grape tomatoes, halved
4 handfuls of brussels sprouts chopped
1 tablespoon ghee
dash of San-J tamari
dash of medium sherry
orange sauce heated for duck
Step by step how to…
1.  set underside of duck on a grill rack on a baking tray, use top shelf to broil till golden crispy
2.  wash & chop tomatoes and sprouts
3.  thwack garlic and ginger
4.  crank up your cast iron wok on high
5.  add ghee
6.  add garlic and ginger, then sprouts, hold the tomatoes.
7.  when sprouts are nicely covered with ghee, add about 2 tablespoons of water and cover with wok lid to steam fry. When texture is how you like your sprouts, add in tomatoes, add dash of tamari and sherry, swish around till tomatoes blister and soften a little. You’re DONE!
8.  remember to check your duck and flip over to grill topside till golden crispy.
9.  while plating, heat up orange sauce and pour over duck, wow, dynamite dinner!
Last thoughts…You’ll feel like you’re eating at a high end restaurant.  Serve this on your first date and I guarantee you’ll be a hit. I’ve yet to try using the ready cooked duck in a curry or other ethnic dishes because I just want to devour the duck just like it is, it’s so good! Of course, you can stir fry other veggies to go with your duck but brussels sprouts go really well.
WokStar-chopped-brusselssprouts-ghee
WokStar-stirfry-brusselssprouts