Leek Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound leeks, cleaned and dark green sections removed, approximately 4 to 5 medium
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Heavy pinch kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
• 14 ounces, approximately 3 small, Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced small
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon snipped chives

Directions

Chop the leeks into small pieces.

In a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and a heavy pinch of salt and sweat for 5 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook until the leeks are tender, approximately 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the potatoes and the vegetable broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer until the potatoes are soft, approximately 45 minutes.

Turn off the heat and puree the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream, buttermilk, and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately, or chill and serve cold.

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Lemon Verbena Drop Recipe

2 oz. lemon verbena infused vodka (instructions below)

splash of Limoncello

sweeten to taste with superfine sugar or simple syrup (less grainy) - start with 1/4 teaspoon or so, and sweeten from there to taste.

In a shaker filled with ice add the lemon verbena vodka, a splash of Limoncello, and the sugar/simple syrup. When it comes to sweetness, you may want to add more or less sweetener depending on how you like your drinks. Shake well and serve in a martini glass with a sprig of lemon verbena and a curl of lemon peel (you can also sugar the rim if desired).

Lemon Verbena Infused Vodka

Clean and dry the jar you are going to use.

You want to wash the lemon verbena you are going to use really well, or the sediment will end up in your vodka. Wash several leafy sprigs of the lemon verbena and pat them dry with a clean towel.

Add the lemon verbena to the vodka. Depending on how much vodka you will be using adjust how much lemon verbena you add. You can see in the above picture I used quite a bit of the verbena and ended up letting it infuse for about 36 hours. It's not an exact science, just keep sampling it until the strength is to your liking.

Seal the jar and wait at least 24 hours. The lemon verbena imparts its flavor to the vodka quite willingly and you will also start to notice a change of color in the vodka. After the initial 24 hours, if you want a more pronounced verbena flavor, let it go longer and taste every 12 hours or so until you feel the infusion is complete.

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Beggar's Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh chicken, 3 to 3 1/2 pounds, cleaned
• Marinade:
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon ginger juice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Stuffing:
• 6 shiitake mushrooms, fresh or dried
• 4 ounces lean pork
• 2 ounces Chinese pickled cabbage, or preserved mustard greens
• 2 green onions
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder (optional)
• Other:
• 2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
• 2 large sheets aluminum foil for wrapping chicken

Preparation:

To make the ginger juce, grate the ginger and squeeze out the juice until you have 1 teaspoon. In a small bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. Rub the marinade ingredients over the inside and outside of the chicken and let marinate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the vegetables and pork. If using dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstitute by soaking in warm water until softened. Squeeze dry and cut into thin slices. For fresh, wipe with a damp cloth and slice. Cut the pork into thin matchstick pieces. Finely chop the remaining vegetables.

In a wok or heavy frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high to high heat. Add the green onion and the pork. Stir-fry until the pork is crisp and nearly cooked through, then add the mushrooms and preserved greens. Stir in the soy sauce, rice wine or dry sherry, sugar, sesame oil and five-spice powder if using. Remove from the pan.

Stuff the chicken loosely with the stuffing and close with skewers or strong toothpicks. Wrap the chicken tightly in the aluminum foil. Place the wrapped chicken in a roasting pan.

Bake the chicken for 75 minutes. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the juices run clear and the temperature of the chicken in the thickest part of the thigh is 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the stuffing and serve with the chopped up chicken.

Source : http://chinesefood.about.com

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Kung Pao Chicken

Named after a court official or "Kung Pao," Kung Pao Chicken is a spicy Szechuan dish made with diced chicken, peanuts and chili peppers. This recipe calls for deep-frying; for a lighter version, try Kung Pao Chicken Stir-fry.
* 2 boneless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each
* Marinade:
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
* 2 teaspoons cold water
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch
* Sauce:
* 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
* 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon black or red rice vinegar, or red wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon chicken broth or water
* 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
* 1/2 tsp salt
* a few drops sesame oil
* 1 tsp cornstarch
* Other:
* 6 to 8 small dried red chili peppers, or as desired
* 2 garlic cloves,
* 1/2 cup skinless, unsalted peanuts
* 3 - 4 cups oil for deep-frying and stir-frying

Preparation:
Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Mix in the soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, water and cornstarch. Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients, whisking in the cornstarch last.

Remove the seeds from the chile peppers and chop. Peel and finely chop the garlic.

Heat the oil for deep-frying to between 360 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Carefully slide the chicken into the wok, and deep-fry for about 1 minute, until the cubes separate and turn white. Remove and drain on paper towels. Drain all but 2 tablespoons oil from the wok.

Add the chilies peppers and stir-fry until the skins starts to darken and blister. Add the garlic. Stir-fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Add the deep-fried chicken back into the pan. Stir-fry briefly, then push up to the sides of the wok and add add the sauce in the middle, stirring quickly to thicken. Stir in the peanuts. Mix everything together and serve hot.

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Jamaica Flower Iced Tea Recipe

When I'm in need of a refreshing stunner of a drink on a hot afternoon, I turn to this Jamaica Flower Iced Tea recipe. It became one of my favorite things to drink on hot afternoons throughout my recent trip to Mexico.

One of the first things you notice as you start browsing local markets in places like Merida or Mexico City is that many of the stalls are punctuated with big, baskets overflowing with the dried maroon petals of the jamaica flower (also known as hibiscus). If nothing else on this trip, I learned how to properly pronounce jamaica - in reference to the flower, not the country. It is ha-MIKE-uh in Spanish. If store clerks are looking at you funny in the states when you ask for it, try asking for dried hibiscus. You can usually find it near the loose teas, or nestled in with bulk herbs and spices in natural food stores. I usually get mine at Rainbow Foods in San Francisco. For those of you who have more limited options in your communities you can always mail order it here or here.

Dried jamaica flowers create one of the most beautiful and delicious infusions you can imagine. In restaurants, people can't help but crane their necks as trays filled with icy tall glasses of Agua de Jamaica make their way towards lucky recipients. In the case of the jamaica flower, the flavor is as engaging as the visual. Well-chilled and served over ice, the jewel-like ruby red juice brims with the tangy sweetness of the dried petals and sugar - add a kiss of lime and you have the perfect late afternoon refresher.

Making this iced tea is easy, easy, easy. It is a must for your next BBQ or pool party - people are always delighted when they get to try anything made with jamaica flowers. Once you find a source for dried petals you are halfway there. Creating the actual tea doesn't take more than ten minutes of active cooking time, after that you are just waiting for the tea to cool.

I am sold on the taste alone, but it is also believed (in many cultures) that jamaica/hibiscus packs a bounty of healthful properties. It is rich in vitamin C, and has been widely used as an herbal method of controlling high blood pressure, tempering fevers, alleviating digestive problems, as well as improving circulatory disorders. So enjoy it on this front as well.

Other ideas: use the petals to infuse granitas, sherbets and sorbets. I've also used the petals to flavor margaritas. Popsicles! I also want to try making it into a jelly at some point.

Jamaica Flower Iced Tea Recipe
(Agua de Jamaica)

4 cups water
1/2 cup dried jamaica flowers
1/2 cup sugar (I used natural cane sugar this time around)
Another 3 cups of cold water
More sugar to taste
1 lime, thinly sliced

If you prefer, you can sweeten with any natural sweetener of your choice including honey in place of granulated sugar).

First off, pick out a pot that won't stain. Hibiscus has the potential to stain just about anything it comes in contact with including your countertop, cookware, wooden spoons, favorite jeans, etc. So keep this in mind.

Bring the 4 cups of water to a boil. Remove water from heat and add the dried flowers and sugar. Place a lid over the pot and steep for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice along the way to break down the sugar granules.

Pour the infusion through a strainer into a pitcher or jug (this is usually where something gets stained). You are going to want to add about 3 more cups of cold water to the pitcher. Taste and adjust based on your personal preference. You can add a bit more sugar if you think you need it, or more water if you feel like the jamaica is too overpowering. This is usually just about right for my taste. I don't like the sugar to overpower the refreshing natural tartness of the jamaica flower.

Cool completely and serve with plenty of ice in glasses garnished with a slice of lime.

Serves 8.

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Hot Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
• 2 (13 3/4-ounce) cans artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Heat the spinach in a microwave oven on high for 5 minutes and squeeze dry. Drain the artichoke hearts and coarsely chop in a food processor.

Combine all the ingredients except the jack cheese in a large bowl. Stir well. Scrape into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the jack cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Transfer to a chafing dish and keep warm over a low flame. Serve with bagel chips.

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Cold Bubble Tea

A popular drink in Asia, bubble tea can also be found in some U.S. restaurants and cafes. Use this simple recipe to make your own refreshing bubble tea at home.

What is Bubble Tea?
The bubbles in the tea are actually large tapioca pearls, which add an interesting consistency to the drink. This is a cold drink, so you need to make the tea well ahead of time so it has plenty of time to chill. Bubble tea is very popular in Asia, and it is beginning to gain popularity in the United States.
Bubble Tea Ingredients
For this recipe you need:
1. black tea
2. large tapioca pearls
3. milk
4. ice
5. sweetener
You also need a cocktail shaker for mixing together the drink, and extra wide straws for drinking up those bubbles.
Prepare the Tea
Begin by making a pot of black tea. While the tea is still hot sweeten it with sugar or honey. Generally, you will want to use about 1 tbsp. of sweetener per cup of tea. It is better to use less than more, because you can always add more later. Now, chill the tea in the refrigerator.
Boil the Tapioca Pearls
Tapioca is very delicate, so you want to make it right before putting the bubble tea together. Boil some water in a large saucepan. When the water is boiling, add one cup of tapioca pearls. Stir them up so they do not stick to the bottom. Follow the cooking directions for the type of tapioca that you are using. Generally, you want to let the tapioca boil for 25 minutes, then turn off the heat and let them sit covered in warm water for another 25 minutes.
Assemble the Bubble Tea
Drain the tapioca and rinse it with warm water. Add the tapioca pearls to the bottom of the cups. Pour one part tea, one part milk and some ice into the cocktail shaker. Give it a good shake so everything gets mixed up. Pour the milk, tea, and ice over the tapioca and enjoy the drink through one of the thick straws.

Source : http://chinesefood.about.com

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