NTD’s 5th International Chinese Culinary Competition – Kosher Round

Thursday morning past started out as a dreary, uninviting rainy morning, soon the sky brightened just in time for the Kosher round of NTD’s 5th Annual International Chinese Culinary Competition in Times Square to get underway as scheduled. Elan Kornblum, the founder, publisher and editor of Great Kosher Restaurants Magazine more than ably organized the kosher competition round in conjunction with New Tang Dynasty Television.

The event was held in the pedestrian mall on Broadway between 46th and 47th Streets in Manhattan. There were quite a few old friends and recognizable faces from among the foodies in our community, most notably event planner extraordinaire, Nelly Rosenking (from NellysList.com), Dr. Alan Bronner from Jack’s Gourmet Kosher (manufacturers of superb sausages, unequaled in the kosher world!)

At the sound of the gong, the competition started… (Left: Zhong Lee, NTD President; Right: Kean Wong, Host)
Photo by: Elan Kornblum

Four chefs from kosher restaurants were pitted against each other … the passion for food, the fierce competitiveness were soon apparent…

Chefs in action
Top photo by: Nelly Rosenking (NellysList.com)
Bottom photo (Elan Kornblum)

The dishes ranged from fish, to spicy chicken, tofu and more.

Some of the dishes made by the competing chefs…
Photos by: Elan Kornblum

Thecontest entries were superbly delicious, as the chefs showed off their expertise, their unique understanding of the subtle flavor nuances of the ingredients necessary for a great kosher Chinese cuisine.

Combine the drama of the competition, the pyrotechnics indigenous to Asian cuisines, the pageantry of 5,000 years of Chinese history and the reverence Chinese pay to great chefs and you have all the ingredients for an unforgettable experience. This culture filled culinary event, clearly proved that the more food fashions, fads, tastes, evolve over time they always – invariably – stay within the parameters of rich tradition.

CS

Sukkot starts this evening, why not enjoy a nice Chinese dish in the Sukkah?

Chag Same’ach!!!

Stir-Fried Lamb with Garlic and Basil

Every once in a while, I enjoy preparing a dish in my wok; here’s a favorite which I adapted from Ken Hom‘s Quick Wok:

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean lamb steaks
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled  and thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Handful fresh basil leaves
• Handful fresh coriander sprigs

Marinade

• 1 tablespoon rice wine
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons cornflour

Directions

1. Cut the lamb into thin slices. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the ingredients for the marinade. Add the lamb, mix well and marinade for 20 minutes at room temperature. Drain and discard the marinade.
2. Heat a wok over high heat until it is very hot. Add the oil. when the oil becomes hot and starts tsmoking slighly add the the lamb and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, salt and pepper. Continue to stir-fry for another 3 minutes.
4. Finally toss in the basil and coriander, and continue to stir-fry for 1 more minute or until the herbs have wilted.
5. Turn onto a warm serving platter and serve at once.

The garlic and basil, the two aromatic ingredients, make this an unusual but delicious dish.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Chinese Brisket and Turnip Stew

Yes, gentle reader, most of us think of brisket as the quintessential Jewish American meat delicacy but more than  just us, members of the tribe like it. It’s long been a holiday staple of Ashkenazi cuisine, but it is also extremely popular in the Orient (China, Korea, Thailand, Viet Nam), as well as in Mexico where it’s known as suadero.

When I came across this recipe chow.com I knew that you’d all enjoy this variation on a theme:

Ingredients

• 1 (4- to 5-pound) beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 10 (1/4-inch-thick) slices fresh, unpeeled ginger
• 8 medium garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce *
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water, plus more for blanching the brisket
• 3 star anise pods
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 2 pounds turnips or daikon radish
• 1 bunch scallions
• Steamed white rice or cooked rice noodles, for serving

* The original recipe calls for “chu hou paste,” since I could not find a kosher certified brand, after some research I came up with hoisin sauce which is very similar but less spicy. There are two kosher brands Gefen and Joyce Chen.

Directions

1. Fill a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the brisket pieces and return the water to a boil. Immediately drain the meat through a colander and rinse any scum off of it with cold water; set aside.
2. Wash and dry the pot. Heat the oil in the pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and starting to brown, about 1 minute. Return the meat to the pot, add the chu hou paste, and stir to coat. Add the chicken broth, measured water, star anise, sugar, and measured salt and stir to combine.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover with a tightfitting lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the meat is tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
4. Meanwhile, peel and cut the turnips or daikon into 1-1/2-inch cubes, place in a large bowl, and cover with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap. Trim and cut the scallions into 1-inch pieces, place in a small bowl, and cover with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap. Refrigerate the vegetables until the meat is tender.
5. Add the turnips or daikon to the pot and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring halfway through the cooking time, until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
6. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the scallions, and let sit uncovered for 5 minutes to allow the scallions to soften slightly. Remove and discard the star anise pods. Taste and season with salt as needed. Serve with steamed rice or rice noodles.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Thank You!!

Photo by: Aquafornia

How time flies! When we started (on November 2nd, 2009) we were not sure if we’d still be blogging a year later. Would we get any regular readers? Would anybody really be interested in our thoughts? Could we say something, could we sound different, from far more established bloggers and existing websites? A 171 posts and a later later, we realize our hopes are slowly materializing. Most of the exhibitors we spoke to, at last week’s Kosherfest, had heard of us; an impressive number of them had actually seen and read these pages here and abroad.

We constantly meet people who follow our musings regularly. As beginning bloggers, who wondered for how long we would be able to post once or occasionally twice a week, we suddenly find a lot of material that interests our readership. We’ve been told our writing styles are refreshing, our photography mouth watering. Even non-Jewish publications and blogs have noticed us. But I must confide in you, IF we are any good at what we do it is only because we love our subject matter… we are foodies!

During this past year, we’ve sampled some of the top kosher eateries, (from Chinese to Middle Eastern cuisine, from Japanese to French, to Italian, to American, to Fusion, we’ve tasted them) met some amazing chefs – people full of creative energy and an uncanny understanding of the nuances of flavor. We’ve learned and continue learning a lot, about food, about wine; above all, as we forge new relationships with chefs, with restaurateurs, with manufacturers of kosher products, with cookbook authors, with winemakers around the world, etc., we are often told personal stories that prove that even those who excel at their craft are just humans like the rest of us. What drives them to succeed? What fuels their drive? Simple, it is their passion for food, their passion to prove that kosher need not be a second class cuisine. Yes, cooking kosher, manufacturing kosher products, may be a bit more challenging… but, it is precisely those challenges that spur them on, that excites their creative juices. Kosher has come a long way!!!

But what SYR and I are most grateful for, gentle reader – what helped us the most – were your suggestions, your words of encouragement.

What lies ahead is exciting, we plan many a contest for this upcoming year and are at this very moment negotiating the prizes. We plan on bringing you guest posts by well known Chefs, as well as outstanding recipes from professionals and from housewives who almost daily improve, create, or adapt delicious new dishes. We will also bring you reviews of amazing new products. And, of course, we will continue to review kosher restaurants and often we will write about our revisits to favorite eateries.

Right now and until November the 18th, we are running a contest based on recipes from any of Susie Fishbein’s Kosher by Design series. Send us your best photo of any of Susie’s 900 plus recipes and you may win her latest cookbook: Kosher by Design Teens and 20 Somethings, meanwhile you can download the complete recipe index at: http://bit.ly/KBDrecipeindex. Email us your best to:

kosherscene@gmail.com

Our first year was productive and we are proud of how we grew, but there is so much more to accomplish. Thank you, gentle reader, we could never have gotten here without you.

CS

I was looking for a Peking Duck recipe

Whenever I pass by a Chinese restaurant, my gaze invariably turns to those very shiny, brown colored, ducks that often are displayed so as to be seen from the outside. They look delectable but, alas, they are not kosher… I finally found what promises to be perfect directions for a delicious kosher Peking Duck on the Chef Kosher website.

Here is their recipe:

Photo by: nhahangvannam.com

 

Peking Duck

Ingredients

• 1 (4 pound) whole duck, dressed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 orange, sliced in rounds
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• 5 green onions
• 1/2 cup plum jam
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped chutney

Directions

1. Rinse the duck inside and out, and pat dry. Cut off tail and discard.

2. Mix together the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, white pepper and cloves. Sprinkle one teaspoon of the mixture into the duck. Stir one tablespoon of the soy sauce into the remaining spice mixture and rub over the entire outside of the duck. Cut one of the green onions in half and place inside duck. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

3. Place duck breast side up on a rack in a big enough wok or pot and steam for an hour adding a little more water, if necessary, as it evaporates. Lift duck with two large spoons, and drain juices and green onion.

4. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and honey.

5. Preheat the oven to 375F. Place duck breast side up in a roasting pan and prick skin all over with a fork. Roast for 30 minutes.

6. Brush the honey mixture onto the duck and return it to the oven. Turn the heat up to 500F. Roast until skin is richly browned.

7. Prepare duck sauce by mixing plum jam with the sugar, vinegar and chutney in a small serving bowl. Chop remaining green onions and place them into a separate bowl. Place whole duck onto a serving platter and garnish with orange slices and fresh parsley. Use plum sauce and onions for dipping.

The more I reread the above recipe, the better it tastes in my mind… I think if I start preparing it now I could still enjoy for Shabbat, tonight. Hmnnn, that might make this Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, especially memorable!

CS