Monday, October 29, 2018

Stir-Fried Spicy Fish-Fragrant Chicken and Eggplant...


I'll start off by saying there is absolutely zero fish in this over-the-top delicious spicy chicken and eggplant recipe, but what does it mean by fish-fragrant? The flavour of Chinese Chinkiang black vinegar combined with chili bean sauce, soy sauce, onions, garlic and ginger imparts a spicy, sweet slightly sour fish fragrance- a popular taste profile of the Szechuan region. Make this Chinese restaurant favourite at home easily with the right ingredients and a simple tip on cooking the eggplants without all that greasy oil. My family and I love it, and I have this inkling it will also stir up the savoury glands in yours too :D. 


Chinese eggplants are thin-skinned, less bitter and milder than American eggplants.

Stir-Fried Spicy Fish-Fragrant Chicken and Eggplant 
Serves 4 to 6 

1-1/2 lbs. chicken thighs, cut into strips 
¼ tsp. salt 
A few dashes of ground white pepper 
1 Tbsp. cornstarch 
1/3 cup Chinese cooking wine, divided 
2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces 
Cooking oil (sunflower, safflower or grapeseed) 
4 long Chinese eggplants, cut into 2-inch batons 
4 garlic cloves, chopped 
1 to 2 Tbsp. Toban Djan (chili bean sauce)- I use Lee Kum Kee 
3/4 cup water 
2 Tbsp. soy sauce 
1 to 2 Tbsp. Chinkiang black vinegar or/ substitute with a tart dark balsamic vinegar  
Chopped green onions and/or cilantro for garnish 

Marinate the chicken mixed in salt, pepper and cornstarch for an hour if possible.



Heat the skillet/wok on medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. oil and then green onions. Let sizzle for a minute, then add chicken strips. Stir-fry for one minute, then drizzle 2 Tbsp. Chinese cooking wine and cook for two minutes more. Remove onto a plate and set aside.

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in the pan over medium heat. Add eggplants and stir-fry occasionally until browned, then cook, stirring for five minutes until softened. NOTE: Add drops of water every minute to help steam and soften the eggplants. Transfer to the serving plate and set aside. 

Place the skillet back on high heat and add 1 tsp. oil, chili bean sauce, ½ chopped garlic and let sizzle for 30 seconds. Then add ¼ cup cooking wine, water, soy sauce, and black vinegar. Let it come to a boil, then return the eggplant, followed by the chicken and stir-fry with remaining garlic two minutes more. Pour onto serving plate. Garnish with green onions/cilantro.



Cooking with my seniors' students over in Chinatown today! Two skillets going for two Szechuan flavour profiles-- one with chili garlic sauce, and the other one with Toban Djan chili bean sauce- the underlying spiciness in my fish-fragrant version.


Did you know there are officially 26 Szechuanese spicy profile combinations?


Serving delicious chicken and eggplant over steamed rice...


Or try something different... like serve your Chinese dishes alongside Steamed Rice Rolls dressed with soy sauce.


Rounding the meal out with a side of stir-fried snow peas with garlic.


And then countering the spicy with some sweet, giving an early nod to Halloween with this classic Taro Coconut Tapioca Soup Dessert as the second recipe in my morning's Chinese cooking class. Nummy...

Taro Coconut Tapioca Soup Dessert

Full Recipe:

Stir-Fried Spicy Fish-Fragrant Chicken and Eggplant 
Serves 4 to 6

1-1/2 lbs. chicken thighs, cut into strips
¼ tsp. salt
A few dashes of ground white pepper
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/3 cup Chinese cooking wine, divided
2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
Cooking oil (sunflower, safflower or grapeseed)
4 long Chinese eggplants, cut into 2-inch batons
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 to 2 Tbsp. Toban Djan (chili bean sauce)- I use Lee Kum Kee
3/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 to 2 Tbsp. Chinkiang black vinegar
 or/ substitute with a tart dark balsamic vinegar
Chopped green onions and/or cilantro for garnish

Marinate the chicken mixed in salt, pepper and cornstarch for an hour if possible.

Heat the skillet/wok on medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. oil and then green onions. Let sizzle for a minute, then add chicken strips. Stir-fry for one minute, then drizzle 2 Tbsp. Chinese cooking wine and cook for two minutes more. Remove onto a plate and set aside.

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in the pan over medium heat. Add eggplants and stir-fry occasionally until browned, then cook, stirring for five minutes until softened. NOTE: Add drops of water every minute to help steam and soften the eggplants. Transfer to the serving plate and set aside.

Place the skillet back on high heat and add 1 tsp. oil, chili bean sauce, ½ chopped garlic and let sizzle for 30 seconds. Then add ¼ cup cooking wine, water, soy sauce, and black vinegar. Let it come to a boil, then return the eggplant, followed by the chicken and stir-fry with remaining garlic two minutes more. Pour onto serving plate. Garnish with green onions/cilantro.




Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Wontons and Sui Gow Dumplings...


I can't even begin telling you how much I love wonton noodle soup. It has all the elements of heaven in a bowl- my ultimate favourite and nostalgic comfort food! The intoxicating aroma and flavour from the love poured into making the finest soup, the gorgeous pillowy morsels of savoury shrimp, pork and chives and the chewy strands and tangles of long noodles. The most fondest memories as a child was sitting around the kitchen table with my family preparing them together. Mom was always the one cooking that mouth-watering homemade broth (see below for a pork and chicken bone broth recipe) and dad in charge of compiling the filling. My brother, sister and I would sit there eagerly with wonton skin in hand and a spoonful of filling in the other, and go as fast as our little fingers could wrap them. Sigh... those were the days... However, in this household so far we've had more than our share of wontons go through the kitchen, and it has become a favourite mainstay with my kids too. One that hopefully when they are old enough to help me out, that they too will have fond nostalgic thoughts when they're all grown up and think back about our time together bonding over wontons... And secondly, so blessed I get to teach it outside too!!

There are two kinds I often make-- wontons that is wrapped smaller with pork, shrimps, black mushroom fungus and chives, and the other is its big heartier cousin shrimp dumplings, called "sui gow" in Cantonese (水饺). These are large boiled Chinese soup dumplings that literally translates to "water dumplings", made out of shrimps- chopped and minced, pork, black mushroom fungus and bamboo shoots. So which one do I make in my cooking class? Why choose, when we can make both :D



Side Note: As one of the contributing authors to a global cookbook collaboration The Taste of The Place, I am super excited to share with you my stories and favourite recipes in the China chapter- and of course wontons, my favourite all-time foods is one of the four recipes. 

Wonton Soup in The Taste of The Place

Here are the dibs to making a delicious Pork and Chicken Bones Broth (my mother taught me to cook both kinds of bones together for a harmonious savoury and sweet broth):

Bring a pot of water to a boil; add a teaspoon of salt and two slices of ginger. Add pork neck bones (this premium cut is famously used in Korean Spicy Pork Bone Soup Gamjatang for its hearty meat). Bring the water back to a boil for two to three minutes, then drain it over a strainer. Rinse the bones under cold running water and wash between the crevices to rid gelatinous fat and any grit. Discard the ginger slices. Rinse the pot, add water and bring it back to a boil with the blanched bones. Add the chicken carcass or bones (trimming extra fat and skin). Cover and reduce heat to medium-low to cook for two hours. Skim the layer of fat and scum that builds up on the surface periodically to achieve a clean broth. To season the soup without adding more salt, I usually use salted turnip slices. They can be found in the preserved vegetable aisle in Asian supermarkets. One large piece sliced into thin strips adds a nice savoury salty flavour and texture to the broth when added at the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Often, I top a meaty bone along with my noodle soup and enjoy it dipped with soy sauce and sesame oil. If there are leftovers, the bones would continue to flavour the soup making it even more tastier the next day. Flavour on flavour!


Salted turnip slices perfectly seasons the soup.

Certainly in my element with wontons... feeling like a champ right here lol!

At my TDSB Learn4Life Chinese Cooking Program

Two mixtures ready to wrap and seal.

(L) Sui Gow Dumplings and Pork and (R) Shrimp Chives Wontons 

The key to sui gow dumplings is the springy bounce with each bite. To do this, you would mix minced shrimp (minced finely with a knife until close to a paste) to the pork and mix well with a pair of chopsticks, raking the meat mixture back and forth for several minutes to create a sticky blended mixture. Scroll below for the full recipe and see this Post for more.


Wontons in the making.... Hung Wang is my favourite brand of wrappers and noodles. Full recipe below.


I am so lucky under TDSB Learn4Life to work with these AmaZing seniors in a Chinatown community centre every week to create all sorts of Chinese savouries! Especially those foods I loved since childhood. Always ecstatic when I hear how they made their own versions, or shared my recipes with their friends... Music to my ears and heart!



The gorgeous wontons and water dumplings made by the collaboration of my very hands-on students! 


Sui Gow dumplings coming to a floating boil and baby bak choy added to the soup for a bit of veggies.


This is also a great recipe for your kids to help with the dumpling wrapping and build on their finger dexterity. My kids love helping me and they feel extra special when they boast during dinner how they prepared our meal together :).

My youngest insisted on helping! :D

Wontons and water dumplings are made regularly in my kitchen. Making a full batch to eat some fresh and freeze the rest for another family meal on a whim. See below recipes for tips on freezing.


Sui Gow dumplings with noodles in soup.


Eat the hunky pork meat off the bones too! Dip them in soy sauce with a bit of sesame oil. YUM!


Happy happy boy, enjoying the dumplings he had part making.


If you have leftover meat mixture, make them into meat patties and pan-fry in a little oil. These were from the sui gow filling from my cooking class. You can really get the springy texture (Cantonese calls it "dan ngah"-- which translates to bounce teeth)... cause yeah they were lol.


Full Recipes:

Pork and Shrimp Chive Wontons
Makes about 70 dumplings

1 lb. lean ground pork
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. fish or chicken bouillon/seasoning powder
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. Chinese cooking wine
400 g raw shrimp, shelled, cleaned, rinsed and chopped
1/3 cup dried black mushroom fungus slice, rehydrated in water for 1 hour, drained and chopped
1 handful Chinese chives, finely chopped or 4 green onions, finely chopped
1-1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 package of wonton wrappers (I like the Hung Wang brand)

Season ground pork in a large bowl with salt, pepper, seasoning powder, soy sauce, sesame oil and cooking wine; incorporate well. Add shrimps, mushroom fungus and chives and mix well. Add cornstarch and mix again. Wrap and chill at least one hour for flavours to meld.

Assemble wontons right before cooking. Place 1 Tbsp. filling in centre of wonton wrapper. Wrap the skin upwards to encase the filling and pinch at the top to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. Cook immediately and freeze the remainder (see tip). Do not refrigerate or they will get moist and stick to the plate.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Carefully add the wontons and cook for three to four minutes or until all the wontons are floating. Remove with a large slotted spoon or strainer.

TIP: Place a plastic wrap on the bottom of a Tupperware or reusable plastic container. Lay 
the wontons in a single layer. Then, cover with plastic wrap to add a second layer. Place another plastic wrap before closing with lid. Can be frozen up to two months if properly sealed.


Sui Gow Dumplings
Makes about 70 dumplings

1 lb. lean ground pork
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. fish or chicken seasoning powder
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. cooking wine
1-1/2 packages of 400 g raw shrimp, shelled, cleaned, rinsed and patted dry
1/3 cup dried black mushroom fungus slice, rehydrated in water for 1 hour, drained and chopped
1/2 cup of chopped bamboo shoots
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 package of wonton wrappers (I like the Hung Wang brand)

Season ground pork in a large bowl with salt, pepper, seasoning powder, soy sauce, sesame oil and cooking wine; incorporate well.

Coarsely chop the shrimps. Take half and mince well with a sharp knife. Add the minced shrimp to the pork and mix well with a pair of chopsticks, raking the meat mixture back and forth for several minutes to create a sticky blended mixture. Add the cornstarch, remaining chopped shrimps, mushroom fungus and bamboo shoots and continue to rake the mixture until well distributed. Wrap and chill at least one hour for flavours to meld.

Assemble dumplings right before cooking. Wet the top triangle of the wrapper with your finger tip dipped in water. Spoon 1-1/2 Tbsp. filling in centre of wonton wrapper. Wrap the bottom triangle upwards to encase the filling and pinch at seams to seal. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. Cook immediately and freeze the remainder (see tip). Do not refrigerate or they will get moist and stick to the plate.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Carefully add the wontons and cook for three to four minutes or until all the dumplings are floating. Remove with a large slotted spoon or strainer.

FREEZING TIP: Lay the dumplings slightly overlapping if there are many on a baking tray and freeze for 20 minutes; this will prevent sticking. Then, place a plastic wrap on the bottom of a Tupperware or reusable plastic container. Lay the dumplings in a single layer. Then, cover with plastic wrap to add a second layer. Place another plastic wrap before closing tightly with lid. Can be frozen for two months if properly sealed.



Tuesday, October 16, 2018

The Many Food Hats I Wear In The Name of Health and Fooducation...


I Love Food and that also includes a host of packaged and bottled products in the market that are more natural and developed with health and wellness in mind. As a seasoned food professional who has worked in R&D (Summersweet Fine Foods) creating entertaining products using high end gourmet ingredients (foie gras, shrimps and real crab meat), and in Kraft's Test Kitchen working with everyday convenient products, I have a strong understanding and appreciation for the wide-range of accessible premade goods. And how important sensory (taste #1- flavour and mouthfeel, texture, appearance and aroma) plays in enjoyment and repeat consumption, particularly in healthy-for-you foods. I am though, first and foremost a consumer, and with high expectations. Whether I am immersed in product development, recipe development or food product demos, I try to put myself in the shoes of the end user. What characteristics would I expect/want in this product/recipe? What makes it unique and stand out from the rest? How can I make this experiential and memorable for repeat customer uses/purchases? Most importantly, it's the story. How did this product originate- the back story, inspiration and journey to the product in my hands? 

Over the year, I have been conducting various food demos as a Wellness Ambassador for a creative agency LiveWell Marketing who are passionate for connecting brands and consumers in the pursuit of health and wellness. As a culinary instructor and food educator working with kids, youths and adults of all ages, being hands-on, and communicative are my essential tools. I really enjoy travelling around the city, meeting different people and sharing on food products from brands I feel good about and being a part of some AmaZing events. With so many different diet-restrictions on the rise, it keeps me abreast in learning about food alternatives, innovative healthy goods and services and adds to my overall food knowledge. To me it's learning the most I can, so I can continue to pay it forward in my every day interactions with people around food.

Here are some highlights of the great brands I have had the privilege of working with and repping for LiveWell:

Repping Bobo's for LiveWell Marketing.

Healthy Planet Scarborough 

I was very proud to be part of the final product testing process to launch two tasty bar products by Suzie's Good Fats Company renamed to Love Good Fats -- Peanut Butter Chocolatey and Coconut Chocolate Chip. In less than a year, they are smashing it as recipient to multiple retail and consumers choice awards. Their motto is "Fat is Back. Sugar is Out" and now with more flavours in their line-up including keto-diet plant-based snack bars peanut butter and jam and chocolate chip cookie dough. The story... A busy marketing exec, mom to two and a triathlete, Suzie developed health issues by neglecting good nutrition and avoiding fats. She then spent three years uncovering the truth about sugar and fats, which led her to create this ridiculously delicious line of snacks. Congrats Suzie... can't wait to see what other flavours and products you are working on!


The meticulous measuring, weighing and chocolate tempering.


The gorgeous handmade kitchen bar samples for a couple of food trade shows.

Bars to be foil packaged and sealed.

One of my first demos with LiveWell was with Daiya, a popular alternative to dairy-free products, and is also soy-free and gluten-free. I don't eat cheese, and I never buy cheesecake, but Daiya's cheezecake made with nutritious creamed coconut as their base,  especially key lime is addictively good. So deliciously rich and creamy, you won't know it's dairy-free. I would serve this as an indulgent treat once in a while. The story... Friends for over 20 years, Andre and Greg shared a passion for music, ideation and a plant-based lifestyle. The same passion inspired them to create a delicious dairy-free alternative made entirely from plants which started with Daiya Cheddar Style and Mozzarella Style Shreds debuted in 2009 at the Natural Products Expo West. Consumers raved- and plant-based dairy innovation changed forever.


I love Kind bars. So many combination of flavours in their chunky fruit, and nut bound with honey bar line-up and also in their pressed fruit category- with some veggies. How about pineapple banana kale spinach likened to a green smoothie in a bar? They are perfectly tote-convenient for a go-to quick but satisfying snack. The story... Daniel Lubetzky is on a mission to build bridges between people. He is the founder & CEO of KIND, a not-only-for-profit that makes delicious and nutritious snack foods. Drawing on his experiences in the food industry, Daniel recently founded an independent organization called Feed the Truth, which seeks to improve public health by making truth and transparency the foremost values in today’s food system.

At Whole Foods Markham


I really like the texture in this low cal pasta-alternative. NuPasta made from konjac root is a low cal, high fibre and gluten free alternative to regular pasta. Konjac, a plant that grows on slopes 2000 ft to 4000 ft above sea level mainly in Japan, Korea and China. You may heard of konnyaku and shirataki, which is very common in Asian cuisine. The texture is chewy and firm to the bite. NuPasta has reformulated konjac food to taste more like pasta, making it more accessible to the Canadian palate. Get this.... a full plate of regular cooked pasta (210 g) has about 300 calories and 2 grams of dietary fibre. The same amount of NuPasta contains 25 calories and 6 grams of dietary fibre, and is starch-free and gluten-free. It is shelf-stable at room temperature, requiring no refrigeration. Already precooked, there is no need to boil, just rinse with cold water and heat with your favourite sauce. I have a really awesome idea for a healthy-for-you alternative to a popular cuisine comfort dish that uses a similar texture noodle that contains a whole lot of starch. I just need to find time to call NuPasta and pitch it to them :D.

Demo at Good Life Fitness' 39th Anniversary

Fresh From Florida saves the day giving us the earlier taste of summer when our Ontario produce are not quite ready. Fresh From Florida programs help to connect Florida farmers with consumers both in Canada, US and across the world promoting 47,000 agricultural producers, as individually these farmers do not have the resources to take their goods to market. This was a fun outdoor event that took place at Sobeys Etobicoke.


How about zucchini noodles with watermelon and grape tomatoes with a touch of basil and lime vinaigrette at your awaiting picnic weekend gathering? For recipes and more see my Post.



Serving up some taste-like-home real Black River Juice classic lemonade with added lime to round out the flavour and cane sugar for just the right natural sweetness (their only beverage with added sugar). From humble beginnings in the cherry orchards of Prince Edward County, Ontario since 1979 to delivering an array of refreshing, naturally delicious no sugar-added, preservative-free, pure juices and juice blends made from mainly locally pressed fruit. Love all their mouth-watering fruit flavours with organic options and fun spritzers too! The glass jars are perfect for storing herbs or as cute flower vases 🌷 


Demo at Highland Farms in Vaughan


Black River's line-up is extensive. I like Pure Tart Cherry Juice and my family loves the Apple and Mango blend. 


Friendly yoga sessions with Healthy Planet North York staff and other vendors for Customer Appreciation Weekend (It was Father's Day and the hottest day of the summer).


Canfitpro's World Expo 25th anniversary took place at MTCC in August. Overwhelming L❤VE for these AmaZing Bobo's oat nutrition bars out of Boulder, Colorado and available in Canada with their four top flavours- Coconut, Lemon Poppyseed, Maple Pecan and Chocolate Chip. Gluten-Free, Vegan, Soy-Free, these bars are made from organic whole grain oats, coconut oil, brown rice syrup and cane sugar. My favourite is Lemon Poppyseed, just like a home-baked mini lemon poppyseed loaf. The bars are dense and hearty, and great over two occasions. I eat half before hitting a work-out and then the other half after. So many samplers can't get over how filling and homemade they taste.


With lovely Wellness Ambassador Jessica and LiveWell's President and Founding Partner, our fit and fierce leader Kelly Atyeo-Fick.

Photo Credit: Kelly Atyeo-Fick

The Bobo's Story... On a rainy afternoon in 2003, Beryl Stafford and her daughter "Bobo" baked oat bars that soon became a Boulder, Colorado cafe favorite. in 2016, they expanded their business, captivating loyal fans nationwide, with no compromise to the original recipe, small-batch baking process, or mother-daughter tradition. They have 15 bar flavours and I've been hearing about this delicious stuffed bars, bites and toast'rs. They have been in Canada for a year, but my demos with them have never been short of eye-widening, mouth-dropping reviews. They are really that good!!! Check them out at most national supermarkets and all natural and health food stores.

Veg Food Fest 2018

My most recent food demo has been with beverage company Rise Kombucha, a sparkling live fermented tea that is activated with kombucha culture of yeast and bacteria and cane sugar to produce a high antioxidant, digestive-aiding, immune-boosting drink. They are the leading kombucha brand that started in Montreal since 2008. The story... World travellers Mathieu Gallant and David Côté crossed paths randomly in Hawaii, bonding over their interest in the islands' raw food and drink scene. An idea germinated, and along with an actual piece of a Hawaiian kombucha SCOBY (live culture) in their carry-on, they went home with a business plan and the rest is history.

I was at a Quebec trade show 2014 in Toronto when Rise debuted here. I said in my post, "We are definitely going to see a "rise" in this healthy market trend- mark my word!" :D. To read more see my post Rendez-vous Gourmet Québec Product Show


Their most popular flavours are ginger (for detoxifying, anti-inflammatory and restoring), Hibiscus & Rose Hips (calming and helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol), and Mint & Chlorophyll (refreshing, detoxifying and good for skin). My favourite is Hibiscus & Rose Hips for its floral fragrance and balanced tanginess and sweet. Rise is all natural, organic and raw. I've been sharing the benefits of kombucha to my friends and family. So good for you!

The Big Carrot over at The Danny


As much as cooking and eating fresh produce is important, knowing what's out there in the market with brand products and services that align with your eating philosophy is just as. The fact is, we live in a fast-paced world, and we need convenient healthful foods when scratch cooking sometimes is not an option. And there's some really credible highly nutritious products that take the guesswork out and make it easy for you to enjoy health benefits. It's filtering through all the information and turning up with tried and true snacks, foods and drinks that you feel good serving to yourself, family and friends... And want to highly recommend to others so they reap the benefits too!