Steamy Kitchen Recipes » Ingredient

Cilantro

SteamyKitchen — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:29:15 +0000

Cilantro is used in a lot of Asian and Mexican cooking.When purchasing cilantro make sure the leaves and steams are not bruised or soft . The fresh herb has thin, delicate leaves and flavorful steams. It is used in soup, stir-fries and noodle dishes. Cilantro should be stored standing in a container of water with leaves covered with a plastic bag.

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Thai Basil

SteamyKitchen — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:27:36 +0000

Thai basil has a stronger flavor than sweet basil that is found in most supermarkets. You should avoid chopping the leaves, it is better to tear the leaves from the steam and/or tear them into pieces when cooking. The basil should be loosely wrapped in a paper towel and stored in the crisper of the refrigerator.

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Star Anise

SteamyKitchen — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:27:16 +0000

Star Anise is a very strong spice which taste and smell like licorice. Star Anise is used very often with pork and duck. It is one of the main ingredients in five spice powder and is used in both savory and sweet dishes. Whole Star Anise has a very long shelf life, purchase the ground variety and store in a cool, dry place away from heat and direct light.

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Cinnamon

SteamyKitchen — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:26:31 +0000

Cinnamon is used in both sweet and savory dishes. Cinnamon can be used whole, broken or ground. It also has medicinal uses. The sticks are very hard, making them difficult to grind, so you should purchase ground if you plan on using a lot of ground cinnamon. Cinnamon has a long shelf life, it should be kept in an air tight container away from heat and direct light.

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Coriander seed

SteamyKitchen — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:25:37 +0000

Coriander is used widely in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, thus having many uses for this wonderful spice. Buy Coriander in seed form. When a recipes call for ground coriander, the seed should be dry pan roasted and freshly ground to release its warm lightly spicy aroma. Ground coriander will keep for a few days in a air tight container. For a longer shelf life, the seed should be kept in a air tight container in the freezer

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Cloves

SteamyKitchen — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:16:00 +0000

Cloves have a very strong distinct flavor. This spice is traditionally used in savory dishes. When purchasing clove you should look for a large whole clove with plump buds. Whole cloves can be stored in a cool dry place, ground clove should be stored in small amount is an air tight container away from light.

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Matsutake Mushroom Dobin Mushi Recipe

SteamyKitchen — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:03:01 +0000

One of my favorite cooking shows of all time is the original Iron Chef. No, not the modern version that plays over and over on Food Network right now, but the one taped in Japan with the silly English dubbing that always cracks me up. The episode that I drooled most over was “Battle Matsutake.” Matsutake Tempura?! Oh hello lover!

So since that episode, I’ve been pining for Matsutake mushrooms. I kept hearing that in Japan, it’s a seasonal, rare, expensive thing….so I just sorta passed it up as, “okay, one day…” type of food.

And a couple of weeks ago I found out that Matsutake mushrooms are harvested here in the Pacific Northwest (okay, not really “here” as I’m in Florida, but I mean here as in American soil!) and this year is one of abundance. My good friend Dave from Earthy sent me an email when they first started arriving, and I almost canceled the rest of my travel plans to come home so I could play with the ‘shrooms.

But how to cook?

Marc of No Recipes and Stephan of Zen Can Cook came to the rescue with ideas and recipes. I had dinner with both of them a few months ago in NYC, but we don’t have a photo to prove it.

Because we were too damn busy eating, laughing and stuffing our faces at dinner. Oh and drinking lots too. No wonder!

So, if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a few Matsutake mushrooms, remember to keep the recipe simple. The mushroom is so fragrant and earthy that you don’t want manipulate it too much. Keep it simple, with few good quality ingredients and enjoy its natural aroma and taste.

What is Matsutake Mushroom?

Fall is the season of Matsutake mushrooms. In Japan, it’s a highly prized mushroom, perfect specimens selling for as much as $250 for 6 small Matsutake mushrooms! I compare it to truffles – the Matsutake has a penetrating, deep earthy aroma. It’s texture is thick, meaty and hearty.

Matsu = pine
Take = mushroom

The Matsutake grows only under pine trees, and I’ve heard that the never grow in the same place twice. How frustrating for mushroom hunters, eh? American Matsutake is a little different from the Japanese species, but just as fragrant and delicious.

Hsiao-Ching Chou wrote, “In that regard, the matsutake resembles the truffle, which lends its perfume to any preparation it encounters. A broth with several slices of a pine mushroom would be served in a lidded bowl or pot, for example, so that the scent of earthy pine with a tinge of cinnamon swirls within the container until it is finally released.”

Hurry! Matsutake mushrooms are only available September through November!

How to make Matsutake Dobin Mushi

First, clean your mushroom with a damp cloth, wiping off as much dirt as possible. Cut off the tough bottom nub of the mushroom. Use a paring knife, turn the knife around so that you’re using the upper dull edge, and scrape off the thin outer layer on the stem.

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Baby Corn

SteamyKitchen — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:04:32 +0000

Baby corn is young corn, usually eaten whole, yes, cob included. They are boiled, or tossed into stir-fry dishes. Cooking doesn’t change its texture – they are as crunchy and sweet as raw. They can be found fresh in Asian grocers or canned would be an acceptable substitute.

While fresh baby corn is incredibly delicious and snappy, they are difficult to find fresh. I use canned baby corn more for the texture and color than its taste (and they are fun to eat!)

Fish Sauce

SteamyKitchen — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 02:59:44 +0000

Fish sauce is an essential ingredient in my pantry. It has a nice salty-sweet flavor to it, and you use it very sparingly, like Anchovy paste. A little goes a long way! There are several brands of fish sauce, the best one I have found so far is called “Three Crabs”. Good fish sauce should be the color of brewed tea. Anything darker (like the color of soy sauce) is a lower quality brand. If you think that “fish sauce” sounds like a weird ingredient, guess what? If you enjoy Thai and Vietnamese dishes…most of them call for fish sauce in the ingredients! After opening, you can store fish sauce in your pantry or refrigerator.

Saffron

SteamyKitchen — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 00:46:10 +0000

Saffron comes from the stigma of the saffron crocus. It’s no wonder that saffron’s considered one of the most expensive spices: according to Mr. Harold McGee, it takes over 70,000 flowers and about 200 hours of labor to produce only 1 pound of dried saffron.

The best saffron is bright red, and not yellow. It’s wonderful for adding a signature “hay-like” flavor, and a beautiful yellow-orange color to dishes. To use saffron, throw a few threads in hot water (or other liquid) to release the color and flavors, then use both the threads and liquid in your dish.

I buy saffron online from saffron.com. A 5 gram bottle costs $40 and goes a long way.