Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy Chinese New Year!

If you're struggling to maintain your New Year's resolutions, this year's Chinese New Year arrives early enough to give rebirth to your good habits, if you so choose.

The tranquility and calm of  2011's The Year of the Rabbit is met head-on by 2012's Year of the Dragon, which promises intensity, excitement, exhilaration and unpredictability (How do they predict THAT?).

The 15-day celebration is designed around the gathering of friends and family who partake in 8 or 9 courses of meaning-laden foods. The New Year's Eve meal (called tuan neen) is the most important because it unites the family (and by custom it is just the immediate family at home on the Eve) for thanksgiving.

The dish Jai (often referred to as Buddha's Delight in English) is always eaten on New Year's Day to cleanse the body and increase longevity. No fish, chicken or livestock is killed for food on the first day of the year. Traditionally, there must be 18 ingredients since the number 18 signifies wealth and prosperity. Some households, however, eat a simplified version of Jai.

I've chosen a simplified recipe from Whole Foods to share with you since hunting for authentic ingredients may prove frustrating if you haven't a nearby Asian market. Serve over white or brown rice or cooked noodles. Remember to cook the noodles without breaking them so you don't "break their longevity". Tofu should always be stirfried and never served white during Chinese New Year because the color white symbolizes mourning in the Chinese culture.

Get your rice or noodles cooked and your Buddha's Delight mise en place set before stir fry begins and you'll have dinner on the table is a Dragon's Breath Flash! Yu yuen yee sheung. (May your wishes be fulfilled!)

Buddha's Delight
Makes 3 to 4 servings.

3 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce)
1 tablespoon toasted dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 (14-ounce) package soft tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup diagonally sliced carrots, about 1/4 inch thick
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts
1 cup fresh or frozen and thawed cut green beans
1 cup sliced green onions
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger root
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine tamari, sesame oil, mirin, rice vinegar, tofu and red pepper flakes, tossing gently to coat. Cover and marinate for 1 to 2 hours. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving the marinade.

Heat the canola oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu and stir-fry for 5 minutes, until lightly browned on all sides. Remove tofu and set aside. Add broccoli, carrots and water chestnuts and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until just crisp-tender. Add green beans and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes more, until aromatic. Return tofu to wok.

Combine vegetable broth with arrowroot powder and reserved marinade, stirring well to completely dissolve the arrowroot. Add this to the wok and stir until sauce thickens. Season to taste with black pepper and garnish with cilantro.

How to get a bargain from the professionals you hire

On the way to a dinner party event, my assistant and I had a business discussion stemming from her question: "After all is said and done, after all this work, do you feel as though you're earning the right amount of profit?"

Her question is a valid one. I had had the foresight to really pay attention to what went into this particular party from the cost of the high-quality ingredients, to the extra serviceware I had to buy in order to accommodate extra guests to the time involved creating the event. And the time is where it's at.

Up until we got into the car to drive to the client's home, I had already put in 18 hours of cooking time.
After discussing some of these details at length, I summed it up for her. "In the end, I want our client, who is hiring a professional chef to serve guests in his home for the first time, to be wowwed. I want him to feel and for me to know that he got a bargain." I want every client to feel this way.

I actually hired a professional photographer, Doug Armstrong of DA Visions to capture the evening. Working with him and his assistant, Nicole was a joyful breeze. The biggest advantage I realized when working with Doug is how he uses of his own space. As artists working with small subjects (plates of food, cubes of pear, etc.) we both need to get close to the subject if we're going to get it right and Doug just seems to meld himself into my space as though we've been dancing partners for many years.

And then the photos came back. I am stunned by their beauty. My favorite (and it was so hard to choose one) does not involve people. It involves the salad bouquet. It was the first time we had served salad this way and we were taking big chances because the dish involves height and there's no going back. If the salad falls, the dish is just another salad. They all worked. Doug got the shot (several of them). When we viewed it on our computer screen we were speechless in wonder.

How do you get a bargain from the professionals you hire? Hire the right professional for the job.
I got a real bargain.

Photo credit: DA Visions/Doug Armstrong

Face Time

I’m paraphrasing one of my favorite women here…


…If I take the time every day to recognize just one gift, it will make everything so much better. There is at least one gift in every day… I really think there are lots of them…so when I see it I say, “There it is. This is a gift!” Embrace it. Go with it.
Tina K.


A few months ago, I readied myself for an incredibly busy work day. It included shopping in several locations, meeting with a client for a site review, and then back to headquarters to begin prepping for several large events. And I had just gotten back from vacation. And it was pouring. And the cooler lid just fell on the bridge of my nose. Ugh.

As I drove from place to place, I found myself internally bemoaning the fact that I had so much to do that I didn’t have time to meet with this client and review this site. A site is just a site, right? The food was planned. How important was face time with this client?

It was more important than I can ever express. As soon as I saw her smile, my day changed. She was excited about unveiling this new space to the public and had invited me to feed them. She shared with me her plans for the event and her vision for the ceremony. We sounded out thoughts and questions and potential trouble spots in hopes of avoiding them. We blocked out food stations and the flow of our guests (or crowd control as she likes to call it). Her energy was contagious and I remembered what my purpose/place was.

I live in an honored and prestigious place. I am invited to some of the most special, intimate moments of peoples’ lives. The unveiling of their spaces, the introduction of their newborn children, the memorials of their beloved family members and to the weddings that they’ve been dreaming of forever. And it’s my job to nourish them and their guests. Providing delicious food is just one tiny aspect of truly nourishing someone you love.

The food is the easy part. It’s the Face Time that makes my life as a chef so incredibly rich…and gifted.

Going Nuts

As I looked out the second story window kitchen window from our raised ranch while doing dishes one morning, I noticed that the walnuts on the neighbor's tree were growing nicely. I'm sure the tree was planted by some thoughtful but forgetful squirrel about 50 years ago. I suddenly remembered a recipe I'd seen in a book sent to me for review that I later used for a radio interview on WNTI (the show's archive is here). Gifts Cooks Love, by Diane Morgan and Sur la Table is a lovely book filled with high-quality photographs, unique recipes and ideas about packaging.

I remembered the recipe for the Italian liqueur made from immature black walnuts and I hoped that I wasn't too late. Morgan explains in the book that the walnuts need to be the size of a small lime and the nut inside has to be under-developed. I later read from another source that the idea is that you need to be able to cut through the nut. Okay, I was in the clear, but could I find the 30 of them that I needed for the Nocino recipe? They looked so close when I was looking out the window...yeah, the 2nd story window.

Immature black walnuts being readied for Nocino

Waiting for the additional ingredients

Between carefully reaching while on the ladder (the green leaves flex when grabbed, but alas, the furniture-quality,durable wood is not so flexible--surprise!) and gathering a few from the ground, I harvested my quota of walnuts. I gathered all the additional ingredients I needed, except the alcohol. Well, when you purchase Everclear at 9 a.m. in Warren County, NJ, nobody blinks an eye. As a matter of fact, the man in front of me at the cashier tried to invite himself to my party. Where was he when I needed someone to "go out on a limb" for the nuts??

The liqueur will sit until Christmas time (just in time for the neighborhood progressive dinner!). The nuts actually get spent of flavor in about 2 months from what I've read, but the next 3 months are needed to mellow the elixir. I imagined the flavor to be of a wet walnut sundae. I was completely wrong. So far, it tastes like green, herbal deliciousness. I still look forward to putting it over some homemade vanilla ice cream come winter.

I've entitled the following recipe with the year since I may change it by using brandy, vodka, vermouth or some combination thereof, if desired.

Italian Nocino Liqueur 2011
Makes about 9 (7-8 oz.) bottles of liqueur OR one really big one
You'll need a 1-gallon glass jar, clean
30 fresh green black walnuts harvested in late spring or early summer
1 (750 ml) bottle grain alcohol
1 (750 ml) bottle Pinot Grigio
4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup of water or so (to make simple syrup)
Peel from one lemon
40 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, split

Place water and sugar on stove . Bring to a simmer. You only need enough water to dissolve the sugar. If you want to fore go this step, you may, but it will require more stirring during the curing months. Allow syrup to cool.
Gather and wash the walnuts. Cut into quarters. Place into jar. Add aromatic ingredients and cool syrup. Add the alcohol and secure the lid. Shake the jar weekly. The liqueur will take on a deep amber color. After about 5 months, strain using a colander over a large bowl to remove the solids. Now, strain again, using a fine mesh strainer over a pitcher. Strain a third time by placing a coffee filter or cheesecloth over the strainer.

If using for gifts, funnel into clean decorative bottles, seal and enjoy.

The Screamin' Continues!

My next opportunity to make ice cream was right around the corner, literally. We were invited to a neighborhood Steak Out. That's when you bring your protein of choice for your family to eat and a dish to share. I brought dessert.

My Boy has been away all summer working at Boy Scout Camp and I wanted to treat him to his favorite flavor, Mint Chocolate Chip. Using the mint (some chocolate mint, some spearmint) from the garden, I steeped the heavy cream/milk mixture I use for the custard-style ice cream we like. I'm learning to adjust the amount of eggs and fat content since too much of both makes the ice cream overly heavy in texture and also too difficult to freeze properly. If it freezes without churning (as it does when I give up and remove it from the freezing machine and put it in the freezer) it will become crystallized with jagged-edged ice, not smooth and creamy. I folded bits of a high-quality bittersweet chocolate bar into the mix as it made its way into the freezer. The mint flavor was divine. Next time, I'll temper the chocolate and allow it to harden into a very thin layer before breaking and folding in, which might melt better in the mouth. But, did I mention how great the mint flavor was?

We also made Fresh Strawberry using a lesser fat content. It had a quicker melting point and a lighter feel in the mouth. It was more icy.

And we didn't forget the cones. I used my pizzelle iron to make the cookie part, which I then wrapped around a tapered, wooden cone mold. The flavor of the cones was delicious. Next time, I might make the batter a bit thinner so the walls of the cone are thinner and I might try making the batter using brown sugar for a deeper flavor. Instead of making cones out of all of them, I turned some upside down on a small bowl while still hot and placed another bowl on top to form them into edible cups.

Waffle Cones

3 Tablespoons butter, melt then cool

1 egg

2 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon vanilla (high quality makes a big difference)

Heat pizzelle or waffle maker. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Gently whip together the eggs and salt. Add sugar and mix until smooth. Stir in flour, butter and vanilla. The mixture will be thick. Place about 2 tablespoons in the center of the iron and bake until golden (about a minute or two). I remove one cookie at a time and form around the cone maker or the bowls. If you have tender paws, use a kitchen towel. Don't forget to pinch the bottom until it seals. These can be stored in an airtight container for up to at least a week.

Where the Homegrown Worlds Collide

Cyrus Hyde of Well-Sweep Herb Farm told me that his wife, "Louise puts lemon verbena in a pitcher of ice water in the summer. When you're done drinking the water, it tastes as though you've had a lemon Lifesaver in your mouth." When he tore off a leaf for me to sniff, the heady fragrance carried me away. I bought two plants. I was certain I could make use of them.

Somewhere along the way, as my schedule simmered down after the springtime rush and the temperature ratcheted up, I thought about ice cream. I spent Easter in Norfolk, Virginia with my younger sister and her family. Since my sister moved to Norfolk a few years ago, a trip to Doumar's has been on my bucket list. In case you're unfamiliar, Doumar's is the home of the first ice cream cone and to this day, they make the cones from scratch, before your very eyes.

The restaurant, which is part dine-inside and part curb service was packed full of people being served from a simple barbecue/hamburger menu. They  have a basic, but thorough ice cream sundae menu created with vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or pecan ice cream. The cones were tasty, but I was a little disappointed.

I understand that they probably don't need to create any more or new ice cream flavors to draw in the crowds, but I felt like the cones should be honored by at least one really truly (perhaps rotating) special,  homemade ice cream flavor. So, when ice cream came into season around my neck of the woods, I began creating my own.

I had the perfect opportunity. Happy hour with friends was coming up. Thankfully, my friends are accustomed to being experimented on. I planned to make Lemon Verbena ice cream. Coincidentally, berry picking was also at its peak during that week, so the ingredients on hand culminated in Peach Melba. Fresh, ripe peaches joined Wild Wineberry/Raspberry Sauce served over Lemon Verbena Ice Cream. I also made what my daughter calls Mashberry Pie, which is what happens when you pick pounds of wild berries. The ones on the bottom of the bucket are bound to get a little mashed. The ice cream had a more complex flavor than traditional lemon since the verbena has strong green flavor notes. Complemented by the berry sauce, I love it when those worlds collide.

Homesteading

This summer I was bitten by a bug. The Homesteading Bug.
I've always enjoyed homemaking and creating things from scratch, but it was a while since I did any of those sorts of projects until I visited the herb farm.

In beautiful Warren County in the Garden State of New Jersey, we're blessed to have Well-Sweep Herb Farm. 2011 marks their 42nd year in business and their inventory includes 1,949 varieties of plants. Funny thing is, Cyrus Hyde (pictured on right in a field of his famous propagated single bloom globe thistle) bought his land in 1966 to homestead because he had a passion for gardening.

I made my way to the herb farm to purchase some lemon balm for a refreshing summertime drink. I came home with 2 Lemon Verbena plants (lemon heaven on earth), 6 Nasturtiums (edible flowers), 1 Lemon Balm, Chocolate Mint, Ginger Mint, Chewing Gum Mint, Rosemary (extra oily), Basil, Lavender, Oregano, Lemon Thyme and English Thyme.

As I planted the herbs in anticipation of the summer bounty, I was reminded of how much I enjoyed creating my own home atmosphere and some of the products (most edible, but not all) we use. Let the cooking and the projects begin!