Whatever it takes, even if it means an LCBO Baileys' box ✌... This was me four weeks ago setting up my lap top station for a brand new world to me of online Zoom classes! And these were my exact sentiments about chartering this new virtual territory mid-summer: "With school around the corner, it's still uncertain how my Fall programs will look like. In-class, on-line demo and video-conferencing, both? I have never been keen on-video thus why I am a blogger and not a vlogger, however times a changing and we must adapt to survive and thrive. Who knows I may just love it??? Whichever the case may be, I look forward to teaching again and inspire the young and old alike to get in the kitchen to cook."
Yes instructing cooking classes online, learners lose the entire five senses experience and it's hard to gage whether you will try a new ingredient or flavour by watching the dish get made without tasting it, but hopefully with thorough planning on my part- prepping ingredients ahead, proper camera placement and just upping my virtual-teaching in general, the recipes will be just as inspiring to replicate from home! I am always striving to do better than yesterday, and I have to say I definitely got into my groove on-line.
Whereas I use to present the ingredients and talk through the recipes upfront while mentally visualizing the how-tos before everyone joined in hands-on to cook together, now I get to do a proper demo; walking step-by-step the recipes as I am preparing them, providing lots of information such as how to shop, substitutes and in-depth origins of condiments, ingredients and dishes. It really is wonderful teaching this way as it is thorough and it sticks. Food education and knowledge is really key for producing a dish that takes it from good... to fantastic! And my students tell me, they now have front row seats to see and hear all my tips and tricks. Gotta love it 💗!!
The bonus 💥: enjoying the dishes afterwards with my family 😋!
Homestyle Take-Out Cashew Chicken and Winter Melon Soup |
The following week, it was Japanese cuisine and we will be learning about devil's tongue- konnyaku 👹👅.
Picking up various konnyaku formats at an Asian store. |
Konnyaku Sashimi and Simmered Beef, Potatoes and Vegetables |
Vietnamese Clay Pot Caramel Shrimp and Cantonese Salt and Pepper Squid |
Shrimp Simmered in Caramel Sauce (Tom Kho)
Serves 4
1-1/2 lbs. medium or large shrimps, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp. salt for washing shrimps and 1/8 tsp. for seasoning
1-1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. caramel sauce (* see below)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1-1/2 Tbsp. oil
1 green onion, green part only, chopped
Caramel Sauce (1 Cup): 3/4 cup hot water, divided and 1 cup granulated white sugar
In a small, stainless steel pot, cook 1/4 cup water and all the sugar, stirring just to combine, to a boil. Do Not stir when boiling. Now turn heat down to a simmer, and let cook for 10 minutes until it turns an amber colour. As the sauce begins to turn brown – at this point you need to watch it VERY closely! It will turn to a dark amber quickly; remove from heat into the kitchen sink, stand back and carefully pour in the remaining 1/2 cup hot water; stir well and let mixture thicken and cool to room temp. Store in container at room temp.
Place shrimps in a bowl with water to cover and 1/2 tsp. salt; mix rapidly with hand until frothy and water grey; rinse several times in cold water until clear; drain well.
In a clay pot/sauce pan, combine the shrimp, 1/8 tsp. salt, fish sauce, caramel sauce and bring to a hard simmer over high heat. Mix in the onion and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 to 15 mins. or until shrimps have turned an orange-brown.
Splash water to cook the shrimps longer; the juices eventually concentrate into a mahogany-coloured sauce, and at the end should only be a few tablespoons left.
Turn off heat, add the oil, and stir to coat the shrimps; check seasoning and add onions.
Serves 4
1 lb. of squid, cartilage discarded, tentacles removed and reserved
4 cups water, with 1 Tbsp. salt added
3/4 cup potato starch
1 tsp. salt
A couple dashes of ground white pepper
Oil for shallow-frying
Vietnamese dipping sauce:
black pepper
Chinese-Style Stir-Fry:
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 red chili, sliced (optional)
Take the squid tubes, and score into a diamond pattern. Cut into 1-1/2 inch strips.
Soak the squid in the salted water for 30 minutes. Drain the squid, and plunge into a skillet of boiling water with enough to cover for 20 seconds, then drain again and pat dry with paper towels. Toss with potato starch mixed with salt and pepper, shaking to remove any excess.
Dry the skillet and heat oil until hot. Working in batches, fry the squid for about 45 seconds or until golden crispy and cooked through, stirring gently with a slotted spoon to prevent them from sticking together. Drain on paper towels. Serve with a mixture of lemon and black pepper in a small bowl as a dip.
Or Chinese-Style:
Stir-fry ingredients, adding one at a time in a skillet with oil heated until tender-crisp. Add cooked squid and toss to coat quickly; ladle onto a serving dish and serve hot.
Serves two
100 g lean ground beef, or thinly sliced beef
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
150 g mung bean sprouts, washed, drained, ends removed
1 medium zucchini, cut into 2-inch pieces and julienned
5 fresh / dehydrated shiitake mushrooms (hydrated six hours in water to cover), thinly sliced
1 small carrot, cut into 2-inch pieces and julienned
Oil for cooking
1/2 tsp. sea salt, divided
3 cups cooked steamed rice
2 eggs
Roasted seasoned seaweed, shredded or thinly sliced
Bibimbap sauce:
1 Tbsp. each gochujang (Korean red pepper paste), sesame oil, sugar and water
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
Mix the beef with the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and garlic; let marinate for 30 minutes.
In a skillet, lightly boil (blanch) bean sprouts, then rinse in cold water and drain. Wipe skillet, add oil and stir-fry zucchini, then shiitake mushrooms and carrot separately. Add a little salt each time.
Mix the bibimbap sauce ingredients in a bowl.
Heat oil in pan to medium high heat and stir-fry meat for three minutes until cooked through.
Fry the two eggs (sunny side up is most common).
Divide the rice into two bowls; add the meat, arrange the assorted vegetables and top each with an egg, shredded seaweed and some bibimbap sauce. Mix the ingredients well and enjoy!
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