Discovering Malaysian Dishes

Fall is the time of year to discover and sample new flavors.One should be Malaysian cuisine, especially if you're tired of Chinese and Japanese. this is a different kind of Asian cooking, a mélange of East blending with West. Malaysia is located next to Thailand along with Singapore and near the Philipines.The main culinary influences are Filipino,Indian and Thai with lesser influences from the Britain,Portuguese and Dutch.The last was probably due to the sailors and missionaries who visited and settled the area.Two of the most used ingredients are chili peppers, in particular, bird's eye chili, an extremely hot variety.Another ingredient is a shrimp paste called belacan.It's pressed into a block and sun dried.It's an acquired smell and taste.Belmican can be ground and used with other spices such as garlic, shallots, Ginger and onions , to create rempah.It can also be blended with lime juice and shallots for a wet paste and condiments too.Coconuts are another key ingredient in Malaysian cooking. it's usually used as flakes or toasted and then ground into a powder called kerisik.Coconut fronds and sugar made from the coconut flower are also used in meal prep.All these ingredients make Malaysian cuisine a funky marriage of very sweet and very salty tastes.You can try an afternoon kuih, a meal of bite sized goodies.This is probably taken from the British high tea.Tidbits are a combo of small cakes and sweets.Imagine Alice In Wonderland's tea party with an Asian vibe.Fanciful cakes share plates with curry puffs, small pies filled with chicken / and or potatoes.Dishes of rice pudding are served along side of small rounds topped with shrimp paste. If you want something more substantial then think about trying Ayam goring ,a spicy fried chicken, zested with turmeric and other spices.Another dish, also involving fried chicken, a ram masak me rah,are braised in a spicy tomato and pea sauce.Curry is also big in Malaysian cooking. Gulai is a curried stew, that can be made from chicken but also beef or mutton.It can also be created with seafood and fish.Exotic veggies such as cassava are added with turmeric used for color and taste.The Chinese influence is strong as seen in its' ketupat.These are boiled rice dumplings cooked in palm frond pouches.Itis served for the Muslim holiday of Eid and is stuffed with curried beef.Many foodies are familiar with the Thai version of satay.It's a kind of kabob and cooked over an open grill it's super tasty and super fun to eat.It can be made from chicken or beef, first marinated and highly spiced.Desserts are heavily infused with coconut, both the flesh and the milk.Aikskrim potong is a kind of Popsicle made with coconut and condensed milk.Those two ingredients are also key in coconut candies, a kind of divinity fudge made for special occasions and holidays.Bean paste and curd are also used, sweetened and made in to puddings. Maylasian food is a different and exciting change of pace from the usual Asian fare.Try it to experience a new range of combined flavors and exotic dishes.It's a fun and fiery way to welcome in the fall.

Apples Sweet And Savory

It is apple season.There are baskets of them gracing the fruit sections of every supermarket.Orchards are rife with them.What's great about them is that they're versatile in both sweet and surprisingly savory dishes.Another plus is that there are so many different varieties that you can use any one of them in different recipes. Sweet apple recipes abound.One of the easiest and most fun is candy or caramel apples.It does require patience to enrobe them in that sugary goo.However they are fun to eat ,especially if you use the super tart Granny Smith kind.You can add some chopped peanuts or flaked coconut for crunch.Another beloved recipe is for apple fritters.These are purely decadent, especially when a splash of apple cider or apple brand is tossed into the batter.However they're good on their own, with just a dusting of powdered sugar.The best apples for this are Cortland,Golden Delicious or Mutsu.For a pie or tart with bite use Granny Smith in place of the other.Serve the finished pie with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or to bring out the fruit's earthy sweetness, try a slice of sharp cheddar.One of the easiest apple recipes is apple sauce.This is simply simmered cubed cooking apples with sugar and a scant amount of water.It not only makes for a great dessert but also a relatively healthy snack and even breakfast.Speaking of the first meal, apples are wonderful in pancakes.They're definitely perfect for a Sunday brunch or just a hearty mid week treat.Try the Dutch apple one that"s baked and can be served for the morning meal or as a nice dessert with whipped cream and cinnamon. Apples are a treat in savory dishes as well.Apple slices are the stars in the famed Waldorf Salad.This blend of savory and sweet also has raisins and celery for flavor and crunch.You can also add leftover chicken or turkey to make it more of a main dish than a side.Another tasty apple based salad is one with walnuts and blue cheese.You can also do a salad with only a variety of different kinds from Fuji to Braymore, Mix with romaine and an apple cider based vinaigrette.The Germans have always known that apples go well with pork (and aid in the digestion too).Jazz up those boring pork chops with a mix of butter sautéed apples mixed with onions.You can also make a caramel sauce using brown sugar and peppercorns cooked together.Top the meat with heaping spoonfuls of it.Home chefs can also top a loin of pork with a spicy apple topping.Tenderloins can also benefit from this fruit as can pork loins.Try a stuffing made with Fujis and raisins.Beef dishes can also have the added zing of the fall harvest.Experiment with an apple infused beef stew.It's the perfect ,meal for fall, with the taste of apples and spices, cooked to perfection in a Dutch oven.You can also try beef fillets with apples as well.The two work well with each other, and bring out the other's rich flavors. Apples are in abundance right now.Try them in any meal, from breakfast to dinner or in a lunchtime salad.They're not only tasty but versatile.Try a recipe or two with your harvest.

New York Times Cooking App My New Love

After writing about the New York Times cooking app I can't keep my hands off it.It's everything a foodie and a food writer loves.There's recipes galore along with how tos about - well almost everything.There's one for creme fraiche, another for homemade barbecue sauce and even butter.This app site will probably change the way we think about recipes as well as rethinking the need for the old fashioned recipe book, full of pages. What is so great about the app is that you can customize it.There are vegan recipes for those who have eschewed meat.For fans of the Times Dining writers such as David Tanis and Julia Moskin, there are sections called recipe boxes of just their recipes.The site also has categories, with some good recipes about how to roast a Thanksgiving turkey and easy summer ones. chowder lovers will rejoice at the variety of chowder recipes from a buttery lobster one to the classic Manhattan clam.home chefs who love to experiment with regional cooking will also rejoice in the different American cuisines.There is everything from Tex Mex to a cornucopia of Southern fried chicken recipes.the holidays are covered .There are even recipes when you're home sick, from ginseng tea to a surprisingly spicy take on chicken soup. How is this different from the other cooking apps out there?Well, for one thing it is The New York Times, and the second is home chefs are receiving a kind of master class.Other cooking apps rely on everyday recipes along with people's home recipes.What may be tasty for one isn't always tasty for another.The pictures accompanying the dishes aren"t always the best either.(ok, most of the Times cooking app pics have been photographed by some of the best photogs in the business).The Times app also has a more concise grouping of dishes. There are problems with the apps as well.From the reviews I've read, most of the cooking apps crash and that's not good.Another problem is that some are just plain goofy.I mean the marijuana.cookbook app?????Really??The Times app does have a few shortcomings.It should have a section where home chefs can write a grocery list ,along a map to finding places in your area where you can find exotic ingredients.It could stand with a meal planning or party planning section but that's a minor complaint. If you haven't already go to The Times Cooking app or site.You'll get a slew of ideas for cooking and baking.They will inspire any home chef, from novice to the experienced to make a delicious top quality dish.

NYT Dining The Cooking Issue

Today's New York Times Dining issue is the perfect guide for any level of home chef.It is the cooking issue and it has almost nothing but recipes as well as technique how toss .This is also a great refresher for those who spent the summer wiling away too much time grilling and taking out.It is a good one to really study for home cooking skills. The issue coincides with the new Cooking app (Ipad only) and website from the New York Times.It has thousands of recipes from years past.It's pretty neat because you start the site having you recipe box and then fill it with recipes and ideas suited to your tastes and skill levels.The section has former chefs like the great Craig Claiborne (whose recipes I instantly put into my recipe box) to Mark Bittman and Melissa Clark.Anyone can benefit from this as will families.Sam Sifton,the Dining section's main editor, has an easy meal anyone can make.It's just the great Craig Claiborne's smothered chicken recipe with a side of buttered green beans.It has the Southern technique that calls for covering the chicken pieces with an weighted inverted dinner plate.This presses the chicken skin into the pan and creates a seared piece.There are other good nuggets of advice laced throughout the issue.Florence Fabricant and Mark Bittman both show how a home chef should go shopping along with balancing cooking time to multitasking.For bakers there is sound advice from Martha Rose Schulman who gives pointers as how to create a perfect tart and how to freeze the dough. One of the best articles is an entire page devoted to many different sorts of technique.This page is a keeper, especially for novices.There are simple ones such as trimming meat along with clarifying butter and chiffonading basil (roll up the leaves and then chop into ribbons).There are practical techniques such as cutting eggplant for the perfect Parmesan or fried slices.There's also a how to on how to shock vegetables, which is plunging steamed veggies into a waiting ice bath.This is done to firm and brighten them for plating.There are methods on how to deglaze along with prepping ribs and poaching fish.The page is chock full of different cutting ,slicing and dicing methods that you can use for every meal.Beginnners can even use it to practice some of the more complicated techniques such as making a roux , butterflying any piece of meat or one of the diciest, deveining shrimp. Home chefs should rejoice at the new app and this Dining issue welcoming it.There are some great recipes from some great chefs.This is not only a way of expanding your repertoire but also improving it.

Cuckoo For Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is the latest diet craze and let's face it, everything craze.People are ingesting it faster than they"re drinking, well, coconut water.What are the benefits?what are the uses? can it be incorporated in our diets on a daily basis?Or is just another Internet fad. The stuff comes from the edible kernel or meat of the matured coconut.Unlike other oils it doesn't turn bad for two years.There is a variation known as virgin coconut oil or VCO.It can be produced from fresh meat , milk or even the residue.It requires removing the meat or white flaky part from the shell and washing it before pressing.Many health organizations warn against it because it is has high levels of saturated fats and create high blood pressure levels. Oil lovers claim it has benefits,from reversing the effects of Alzheimer's Disease to improving both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes.It also helps boost metabolism and corrects any thyroid problems.Many believers also use it to lose weight.Coconut oil can help improve bones and teeth.Used as a topical cream, it improves hair luster and skin tone.Home chefs can buy it anywhere from Target to WalMart to Walgreen.You can also get it at the Vitamin Shoppe and Amazon.com..If you buy it, please keep in mind that it changes texture at 76 degrees Farenheit.It can go from solid to liquid in a snap.However storing it in the fridge will only turn it into a hard to use solid.It's best stored in a pantry or cupboard. What can yup do with it food wise?Many health conscious home chefs use it intend of butter and oil.It does have a slight flavor of coconut but not that it's like eating a Mounds Bar.The virgin coconut oil has a more pronounced flavor and aroma, which makes it perfect for dessert recipes.Most Indian dishes call for coconut oil and it is great in curry dishes.It can also be used in some Caribbean dishes too such as tropical quinoa pilaf or coconut roasted sweet potatoes.The oil is used for stir frying and sauteing and is a neat addition to scrambled or poached eggs.The oil can be used to fry chicken but also rub it on a whole chicken. For a crispier skin.Bakers swear that it creates a better and even sweeter chocolate chip cookie.It does not produce a think crispy texture however.The cookie's texture will be denser and chewier.It can also be used incase and brownies recipes too as well as breads, muffins and scones..Waffles and pancakes can be made with this and you can serve them with the coconut oil drizzled On top as well. Coconut oil could be here to stay or it could just be a fad.Try it and see for yourself.It is versatile for any meal or dessert. It 's an interesting addition to any pantry.

Eatt Like A Caveman

Can eating like our ancestors be good for us?Can we survive on the same grub that our distant Neanderthal Cousins chowed down on.Many think so and are thriving on the new Paleo diet and lifestyle.It is a healthier way to eat and to even live by.The question is can we give up all that good stuff that was invented between then and now. The Paleo Diet is one of the hottest diets out today.It's name come from Paleolithic as in the Paleolithic Era.this was the prehistory era of hunter- gatherers,with tools of crude axes to hack meat into manageable pieces as well as arrows and fire.The Paleo Diet consists of shellfish, meat poultry, eggs along with veggies, fruit ,roots and berries.No grains are allowed as are any nut or legume.It does encourage eating more veggies and fruits, always a good ng.There are no sugar and salts as well.Yet the Paleo Diet does have flaws.There are absolutely no grains which provide much needed fiber as well too much meat and eggs.Dairy is off the list and again this can be troublesome on so many levels.We need milk for calcium as well as for it playing an important part in weight loss.Critics also point out that the meat and fish eaten are not the same as our ancestors ate.It was not killed in the wild. The closest approximation is buying everything free range to avoid additives ,chemicals and hormones.The same can apply to the produce too.Modern day hunter gatherers have to buy all organic or grow it themselves.Another minus or plus is that you can eat when you like, and eat as little or as many different foods.This works for a single person, but not for a family. What are some of the dishes on the Paleo Diet?you can start your day with a bowl of berries, namely blueberries and raspberries jazzed up with plums and soaked almonds.The almonds get creamy overnight soaked in water so it's got this nice cream feeling.Cloves and raw coca give it zing.You can make pancakes on this diet ,thanks to using almond flour.This last luckily doesn't a bag of nuts and your food processors.You can buy small sacks of Bobs Red Mill Almond Flour at your local grocery or Amazon.Here's a question, can you serve them wiTh maple syrup because it is technically sap.You can also have eggs in olive oil as another starter.Lunch can be a salad.Add any roasted meat from pork to chicken to beef.Salad dressing can be used because it's just olive oil mixed with well fermented grapes or apples (vinegar).Spices are allowed so flavoring can be everything from cracked pepper to oregano.If you want a sweet dressing then add strawberries or blueberries.Dinner can be a stew made of meats and vegetables or roasted meat with different veggie sides.You can try a free tangle salmon flavored with lemon and thyme and a side of steamed broccoli. Another idea is an herbed roast chicken with baked potato planks. Snacks can be carrots sticks with red pepper infused olive oil.You can also try celery sticks too.One of the hardest plates to replace is dessert.After all cavemen did not binge on ice cream or bliss out on Oreos. You can make flan using eggs and coconut milk.Sweeten and flavor with lemon and honey.There are even grain free brownies that combine dates, walnuts and cocoa powder.You can also use plantains as a binder for another brownie treat. Ice cream can also be created using almond milk, fruit purees and honey. The Paleo diet may start out as a fad but it can easily grow into a lifestyle.It's eliminating modern , processed food and getting down to the prehistoric basics.It's a start in the right direction even if it is a step backwards.

Saturday Meals In A Snap

Fall Saturdays are the busiest days.There's the last of the summer garden to clear out or soccer games to go to.A day could be spent antiquing or repairing the house.Then comes dinner and everyone wants a hot or at least hearty meal.It's easy to get take out, yet you want something more for yourself and your family.The quickest idea - meals in a snap. One of the best ways to stock up for Saturday is food shop that morning or buy this and that during the week.One of the easiest dinners is a barbecue.The temps will still be mild, in fact, pleasurable.You can fire up the grill and make simple hamburgers and hot dogs.These are also good to make when the kids bring home friends or new college room mates.Whip up a potato salad as well as a three bean one the night before and voilà- you have your sides.Also homemade heroes are another fun choice.Get a variety of cold cuts ,fillers such as peppers and tomatoes along with different condiments so that everyone can have their preferennces.If you have the grill out, then you may want to bring the dinner up a notch.Nothing beats the taste of open air cooked pork or lamb chops.Again serve these with a salad, a more exotic kind of couscous mixed with different spices and golden raisins.Toss in some almonds for crunch.Roasted veggies are always good too and surprisingly filling.Try eggplant, tomatoes and onions .Serve with flavored rice Dessert could be honey covered roasted apples, pears or late season peaches.Serve with ice cream or caramel sauce. One of the best inventions for Sarurday night suppers is the crockpot,Make the meal in the morning and have it hot and ready by the time everyone is home and hungry.Try a spicy chili to satisfy those hungry appetites.You can make beef, tofu or turkey one, and also vary the beans you put in it.Again have fun with spooking it.Nothing beats a dish with heat. Especially on cool early autumn evening.Serve with ready made cornbread or even biscuits. Nothing beats a nice hot stew.Start with chicken or beef,add carrots and onions and top with homemade dumplings.If there are leftovers( I would be doubtful about those), save for the week, when cooking dinner is hectic.A crochet cam also be good for making Swedish meatballs, a treat for everyone.One of the easiest Saturday suppers to create is pasta.If you don't have time to make a sauce, use a pre made one or toss the hot spaghetti with a mix of sliced tomatoes, garlic ,olive oil and oragano.The pasta's heat will cook the other in to a kind of primavera sauce.You can also fry pasta, such as ravioli and serve with already heated already made sauce.Another hot and quick idea is the open faced sandwich with gravy.Buy already sliced London broil or turkey from your deli counter, arrange on kaiser rolls and ladle on pre made gravy .Serve with a simple tossed salad for a satisfying meal.Finish with store bought pound cake or just apples and caramel. Saturday is the busiest day of the fall season.If means having a limited amount of times to cook a hearty and hot meal.It can be done - in a snap. the rsult- a dinner that is tasty and satisfying.