May 13, 2021 In All recipes, Bakery/Pastry, Snacks

Paper thin soft chewy, Sonoran-style flour tortilla

[ezcol_1half] For a couple years now, I've been taking jabs at creating the perfect flour tortillas. Now, any conversation evoking the word "perfect" ought to be subject to a clearer definition, doesn't it?  So here is mine.  The perfect flour tortilla, in my view, should be unleavened (otherwise it's just a thin pita), translucent, thin but elastic, flavorful enough to be a standalone enjoyment, and above all else, embodying a soft chewiness that you could feel in between bites. It's safe to say that the recipes I used over the years didn't stray far from the typical ones floating around the internet, more or less, kneading flour, warm water (often ambiguous on the exact temperature), some sort of animal fat all together which is rolled out and toasted on a skillet.  Simple, yes, and those aren't horrible either.  Anything containing that amount of lard just can't be.  But in the end

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September 10, 2019 In All recipes, Poultry, Snacks

Book Bait: The Hulk, Dry-fried Green Hot Wings

[ezcol_1half] WHAT:  In a shameless campaign to drum up anticipation for our upcoming cookbook, The Art of Escapism Cooking - A Survival Story, today I am launching a new recipe series with a very self-serving, absolutely no-good intent.  Lady and gentlemen, may I present to you, The Book Bait.  What are book baits you ask.  Well, they are brand new recipes that are not in the cookbook but however, in order to make them, you will need an essential component from the book to complete which, yes, is not yet published until October 15, 2019.  And yes, I am willing to do that to you to sell books. WHY:  Aside from the main motive to get you to pre-order the book (and you can do it here, here and here!), the inspiration for creating this recipe series - if there is still room for this argument - is not entirely corrupt.  There is a chapter inside the book called Condiments, consisting of sauces and spice-mixtures that are used more than once throughout the book.  But since the wrapping-up of the book, I continued to unearth new and exciting ways to utilize them that are too good to be left unbothered.  Which brings

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August 29, 2019 In All recipes, Seafood, Snacks

Cookbook Preview – Shrimp wontons w/ spicy coconut shrimp oil

[ezcol_1half] FYI, There is an entire chapter in our cookbook with delicious little morsels recipes just like this.  Preorder your copy now! [/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end] Here is another recipe preview from our cookbook - The Art of Escapism Cooking that is coming out on Oct 15th! This recipe has many components - slippery, bouncy, rich, tangy, spicy, creamy - working collectively and in balance to support what is ultimately a perfect shrimp wonton.  The idea was born out of my desire to eat a bowl of shrimp wontons where the shrimp-ness is celebrated in more ways than one, and to reminisce the time when I was little when I would always try to gather the dark orange oil from my mother's pan-fried shrimps and spoon it over my rice while sucking on the shrimp heads till my brain hurt.   No other person in the family did that.  And this is my way of doubling-down on their loss. As previous recipe preview, I will include the entire intro and instructions exactly as it will appear in the book.  Reading back, this one in particular was undoubtedly written on a day of great angst and bitterness (insert lol emoji).  Thing is, the way I approached writing a recipe

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July 25, 2019 In All recipes, Seafood, Snacks, Vegatables

Spicy mussel and burnt mushroom toast w/ broth

overcooking mussels is not a victimless crime.  do not engage. [ezcol_1half] Amongst all the abundant obstacles in between humanity and happiness, I am perhaps most snuggly and intimate with one in particular.  Jealousy.  I am jealous a lot, both in frequency and of subjects.  If you had just crossed my path in a white linen dress resting around a decently shaped neck, chances are, in the privacy of my somber awareness, I hated the shit out of you.  I don't want to.  But it doesn't matter what I want.  I am betrothed to my involuntary raid on all signs of missing things. What does this have to do with mussels or mushrooms, or toasts for that matter?  Well, for it stands as a mascot for a particular specimen of humankind - one of many others of course - who consistently requests for my envy in every encounters: Self-enjoying party hosts. [/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end][/ezcol_1half_end] [ezcol_1third][/ezcol_1third] [ezcol_1third][/ezcol_1third] [ezcol_1third_end][/ezcol_1third_end] [ezcol_1half] Who are they and which planet do they come from?  And are we going to see a lot more of them after the storming of Area 51?  Because let's face it, in what is inarguably a highly stressful and - don't deny it - hostile environment where any number of guests has

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August 23, 2018 In All recipes, Seafood, Slider Sticky, Snacks, Vegatables

POTATO LATKE WAFFLE FRIES

THE PERFECT HOMEMADE FRENCH FRIES ARE, ACTUALLY, NOT FRENCH FRIES.  NOT ANYMORE. [ezcol_1half] As a "foodie", for a lack of better words, I hereby acknowledge and accept all ramifications of these following confessions: Despite the inexcusable amount of opportunity and close proximity in the past couple decades, I have never, until last Wednesday, had a Shake Shack burger. That is correct.  Never wanted one.  Never needed one.  I suppose as a food-blogger who's supposed to know these things, that oozes the same level of non-credibility as a cityscape Instagrammer who hasn't been hit by a car  — judgements ensue.  But what can I say, because to me, burgers are like children.  Despite the high hopes and dreams every time you wanted one, let's be honest, most of them turn out to be a disappointing investment with negative returns.  So as a general rule of thumb, I avoid both equally at all costs.  Having said that, I have to admit that my first Shackburger experience — an honest portrayal of a classic cheese burger yet of high caliber — was undeniably satisfying.  But blah blah, who cares, because today's subject has absolutely nothing to do with burgers. Instead, it has more to do with Shake Shack's equally

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June 28, 2018 In All recipes, Meat, Snacks

JALAPENO POPPER DUMPLINGS W/ PICKLING JUICE DIPPING SAUCE

ONE DOES NOT TELL YOU THAT WHEN PICKLED JALAPENO AND CHEDDAR CHEESE ARE IN THE COMPANY OF GROUND PORK, DELIVERED IN CAPSULE-FORM, THEN FURTHER DIPPED INTO A REDUCTION OF ITS OWN PICKLING JUICE, THE COMBO CAN BE BORN ANEW. [ezcol_1half] My speculation into a jalapeño popper dumpling began many years ago.  It was first brought into light by a specimen from my brother-in-law, who gave us two dozens of online-ordered frozen dumplings which, I was told, had become somewhat of a local internet sensation at the time.  The entire makeup of the dumpling was very well-balanced, a perfect ratio between silky and chewy wrapper, not too thin, not too thick, and a fully-housed filling of pork, chopped Taiwanese-style peeled and pickled chili, cilantro, plus some other secret stuffs that I couldn't quite put my finger on.  It was unexpected, well-flavored, totally legit. I have since then, for a handful of times, attempted to replicate that particular dumpling outside of Taiwan where Taiwanese-style peeled and pickled chili aren't always a common item, and had found such task to be extremely impractical at best.  First of all, Taiwanese-style peeled and pickled chilis are, even when available, highly inconsistent in quality between various brands, ranging from

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March 28, 2017 In All recipes, Seafood, Slider Sticky, Snacks

FISH WONTON W/ ANCHOVY, GARLIC , TABASCO

[ezcol_1fifth]  [/ezcol_1fifth] [ezcol_3fifth] HOW DARE YOU.  I'M SUPPOSED TO HAVE TASTE-BUDS OF HIGH CALIBER As we are preparing for our Tuscany vacation that is fast approaching this Saturday, I'm going to quickly leave you with an even faster recipe. I threw this together in less than an hour today, in a frantic effort to clean out the freezer (duh, to make way for the incoming fleet of smuggled imported Italian goods), and they turned out to be little drops of afternoon delights.  So why fish wonton?  Why fish?  See, I don't know about you, but when other people stock up their freezer with prime rib-eye steaks from Cosco, I do mine with frozen catfish fillets.  I don't know why.  Cheapness, possibly.  Don't make me admit that I like frozen catfish.  I'm supposed to have taste-buds of high caliber.  How dare you.  No, the point is, I was saying

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