Katana and some more

    Keeping a blog is much harder than it seems. And a busy kitchen life does not render me much free time. So I feel obligated to tell you a little bit about what is going on with me. I returned from France, in hopes of finally finishing my bachelor's degree in Hotel Administration, Food and Beverages. Not because having the title is important, but because, I was just missing one good year to have the title as my own.
  I figured why not? The thesis process of the final stages of the University has been taking its toll on me (I admit).
  As a team, we opened a restaurant inside campus. I was selected among another few students as Executive Chef for the proyect, and we rotate roles, except for a few who have permanent standing inside the kitchen. It has been a wild and very interesting adventure.
Katana, my own team proposed the theme of the restaurant, and many of its foods. I'll show you some examples of what you could expect to find, if you did decide to dine with us.

You will love this dish!

So we call this dish, 'Sushi Empapelado' paper sushi would be its direct translation. Don't worry, during the following months you can expect a similar recipe popping up in here. 

 We use regional products mixed with the inspiration of oriental asian dishes. 

Tilapia Kabayaki

Served with a wonderful array of sauted veggies, topped with fresh sprouts. Two tilapia fillets, are dressed in a rich flavourful Kabayaki sauce. When I do provide the Kabayaki recipe, I am sure not only fish will benefit from it, but also pork, and some seafood. 

Honey Soy Crispy Pork and Rice Noodles

Dig in to this delicious rice noodle and crispy pork dish!

    There is nothing quite like working with soy sauce. Dominican cuisine uses it in different recipes, and so do the French. The day I saw cooks in France working with Tamari Sauce I was shocked. But I didn't understand back then just how important this fermentation is and how much it has been accepted in different cultures. The United States because of heavy immigrant influence obviously has its many dishes that rely on soy sauce, although in Mexico I saw no such thing.
   I'm not saying that Mexicans don't have access to soy sauce or don't use it in their recipes. I'm just saying that, other than Asian restaurants, I didn't see the implementation of soy sauce else where. Mexican's out there please enlighten me, and comment about the subject let me know if I missed something.

  So, rice noodles, my ultimate comfort food, that, and couscous of course! Just heat up some water, drop it all over them and voila! It is just that easy, I like adding salt to the water just to avoid having to salt it later on.

 Choose the amount of noodles you want to make. I use 1/4 of a package and it makes enough for 4 people. Two cups of hot water is enough to submerge the noodles in. But these babies will be done in about 8 minutes.


Crispy Pork                                                                      Put some water to boil in a pot, insert

• 8 oz pork belly                                                  insert all the ingredients. Leave the pork belly 
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbs coriander seeds                                      until white and cooked. The picture bellow gives
• 1 tbs black pepper                                         you an idea on what to be aiming for.  This is a way
• 2 tbs salt                                                      season the meat, cook it and start a process of drying.
• 1 tbs cinnamon

  After boiling the pork for 10 minutes, take it out and put it in the fridge (yes! Exposed to the cold), in this way all the water dries up, and it leads to a crispier pork. You can leave your meat in the fridge for up to 3 days! Just notice that there is no water left. You can also do it for 4 hrs of refrigeration. Although, the drier, the better.

 I use a hot pan, to crisp up my pork. Look for a non-stick pan, no oil require, because the pork belly is full of natural fat you will see, how this fat will serve as our 'oil'. Crisp it up, and leave it there, moving your meat from time to time on all sides, don't forget the skin. Use a fork or a knife to determine just how crispy you want your pork to be. And yes, the crispy will take a while. 

Tips: Use a medium heat for obtaining a great slow crisp.

Honey Soy Sauce

• 2 cups of Dark Soy Sauce                                   Use the same pan with rendered fat to sautee
• 1/2 cup of Honey                                      your veggies, make sure to also add the spices to the fat
• 1 tbs Ginger Paste                                  this way we release their aromas. Add the honey and let
• 2 tbs of Garlic Paste                              it bubble, later adding the soy sauce. Leave to reduce.
• Coriander Seeds
• Cayenne Pepper (to taste)
• Chopped Chives
• 1 cup of Peas
• 1 cup of Sliced Mushrooms
• 1/2 Sliced White Onion
• Salt/Pepper 

Chef Notes: I then drizzle some sauce and veggies over the crispy pork and rice noodles and sit to enjoy my meal with chop sticks, there is just no other way to enjoy this dish! Decorate with chives and a hint of sesame oil, and it's perfect. I hope you enjoy this recipe, it is very close to me and my family, let me know how it turns out. 

 

Chapati (Indian Flat Bread)

     

   


    My interest in Indian Cuisine took over in March when I was handed over a Tandoor Oven for a restaurant project. I thought I knew in concept about indian food, but everything came into perspective the moment I was handed that oven. What really did I know about Indian cuisine? I never even had indian food before, less cooked it!
   Over the past months the taste of India had me worked up, not just in the workplace, but in my head. Spices and flavors of Masala invaded my nose, and I took in every piece of information youtube, blogs and books could give.
 I'm no indian food expert yet (I will let you know when I am able to travel to India), but one of the best recipes I've found in my studies of this culture is in bread. Bread is universal, it is warmth and a whole meal in one.
  The Chapati is that 'go to' recipe I use often. It is versatile, and takes just about 1 hr or less to prepare. And it goes great with alot of meals, not just indian oriented. There are several recipes you can find out there, remember India has different regions and recipes change according to families.

Chapati

• 50 g whole grain flour
• 100 g all purpose flour
• 15 g salt
• 30 g canola oil
• 50-60 ml water

Take a bowl and put these ingredients together, I use a wooden spoon to mix them. You know it is just right when the flour is not visible, and the dough is elastic. There is no need for real kneading, but if you desire you can knead your bread until it reaches an attractive elastic point. 

  Put some flour on your hands and on the surface of the dough to make fist sized balls (10 portions).  I leave to rest with a moist cloth for 10 minutes. 

  After rested, take each ball with flour to avoid sticking, roll out the circles. 

Heat up a non-stick pan with oil, and leave your extended dough to cook. 1.30 minutes per chapati.

Don't be alarmed by the dark spots. You are aiming for this!

A successful Chapati bread is flexible. Eat it with some chicken curry, ricotta fillings, or bean pastes.

You must be able to fold it up, fill it up and eat. Chapati is a common street food, use it wisely!

Sweet Apple Cinnamon Empanadas

I thought we could kick things off with a simple but delicious empanada recipe. For those of you who don't have any idea of what an empanada is, well let me give you a brief insight. Basically it is a stuffed pastry dough, it has the unique demi-lune (half moon) shape and is served all around Latin America. In my country these empanadas are filled up with absolutely anything you can think of (yes even eggs for breakfast), and these empanada carts are found all around the city of Santo Domingo.
 
    These empanadas are different, they are not savory or fried, but they make for a good snack or dessert. I specially enjoy them because they give me a felixibility for dessert tables in restaurants (they are low cost too), just take left over fruits and make a jam fill these puppies up and pop em' in the oven.

Pastry Dough 

• 15 g salt
• 25 g white sugar
• 200 g butter (don't be afraid of BUTTER!)
• 300 g all purpose flour
• Optional Confectioners Sugar

I like working this dough with a machine, but if you are the adventurous type you can use your hands. Always, always! Sift your flour for dessert recipes, the reason is that this is a way to avoid those pesky ball formations, it is also a fast way of incorporating other dry ingredients together and mixing them. 

  Make sure your butter is not a block of cold matter, you want a pomade and smooth workable rub. add your flour maybe 100 grams at a time and work it, you will see how the oily product starts adhering to the dry products.

  When you have a less than sticky put together dough you are ready! Don't be alarmed we have to chill it and give it a good rest in the fridge. Make it into a compact pile and wrap it in some film paper. 

    Why must we rest our dough? Simple as trying to avoid the butter from melting completly leaving us with a saggy gooey mess. I'd leave it for a duration of 2 hrs if I want to work with it that day. Of course in rush hour moments i'd be able to work the dough in 30 mins, it will all depend on your fridge the amount of humidity outside that day, etc.

Apple Jam

• 230 g Green Apple Trimmings
• 80 ml Maple Syrup
• 30 g Cinammon
• The Juice of 1 Lime

  I need to underline the fact that you can use any jam your little heart desires. At a restaurant I will make an assortment of these little rascals with berries, and even watermelon jam, but my favorites will always be #1 plum empanadas, and #2 this rich apple goodness. 

   Get a pan ready, start giving those apple pieces a little bit of color (yes burning them), and let the water leave the apple, when you get a golden color put in your mapple syrup. When it starts bubbling you insert the lime juice. Be carefull when you decide to put in half of the cinnamon, because with heat cinnamon tends to pop and burn.

Leave everything to chill. 

Take out your dough, and here is where the confectioners sugar comes at play. I like using it to serve as a barrier between my work table and the dough. But if you think it will be too sugary for you, feel free to use regular flour. Take your rolling pin and extend your dough, not too thin but enough.  Take a 4 to 5 inch circular cookie cutter and start cutting the pieces, take a spoon and deposite some filling, half a table spoon is enough. Remember these bad boys will go back to the oven, you don't want the syrup leaking out. Give the dough with a filling the 'half moon' shape by closing it. And use a fork to press it shut in the corners. Get a non stick pan, and BAKE, BAKE, BAKE!

20 mins

pre heated 300 F

Decorate with sugar and cinnamon. "Bon Ap!"

About A Girl in the Kitchen....

    Hello out there, for everyone who will read this. This will be a kind of diary, or online notebook to me. Many of the people that will be looking around will most preferably have some sort of interest in food, (then again....who doesn't have an interest in food?), let me then stress out that this is no ordinary "I love food blog". Don't get me wrong, 'I love Food', I live food not just because I work as a chef, but because my whole day revolves around it.
  But my ultimate passion is high end dinning, soon enough in time I'll be opening a restaurant of my own, but wouldn't it be nice to share my heart and stomach with you all?
   Don't dismiss me just yet (yes, I'm talking to people that are looking for recipes, or places to go to). In my own terms I will cover facts, sights, recipes and experiences, both in a professional ground and in very basic terms, we will share, cook, and probably get to know each other along the way.

   I'll be getting my knives sharpened and kick off as the french say "Allez Hop!"