The trick was not getting the sauce too sweet or too spicy. Balance is the key. Signora V. gave it two thumbs up. Better than spending $20 at P.F. Chang's, IMO.
Signor V.
"For me, there's only my wife..."
"Sure I cook with wine - sometimes I even add it to the food!"
"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies?"
"It was a grass harp... And we listened."
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? Every, every minute?"
The trick was not getting the sauce too sweet or too spicy. Balance is the key. Signora V. gave it two thumbs up. Better than spending $20 at P.F. Chang's, IMO.
DEcided to give Dan Dan Noodles a try. Sichuan style, not Hong Kong style, which comes out more like a soup. After a lot of research, I ended up using Chef Wang Gang's YouTube recipe and another channel called Souped Up Recipes. Luckily, there are a number of Asian markets in my neighborhood so I could procure the proper ingredients.
Good Lord, that was spicy!!!! I think I'll have to cut the chili oil a bit if I make it again. And I will most likely make it again because it was really good, despite the heat. And I'm talking about the heat on the way in - I'll leave you to figure out the rest...
Here is a photo. Since you put the chili oil/sesame paste mixture on the bottom before the noodles, then add the other ingredients (ground pork, Chinese preserved mustard greens, scallions, bok choi, crushed peanuts, and the like) on top before mixing everything together, the noodles really aren't visible in the picture. But, take my word for it, it was really memorable.
Way too hot for Signora V., so she decided to pass. Perhaps with a bit less heat...
Signor V.
"For me, there's only my wife..."
"Sure I cook with wine - sometimes I even add it to the food!"
"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies?"
"It was a grass harp... And we listened."
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? Every, every minute?"
Would u guy's believe..my wife ..whom knows my shit as a chef b4 I semi retired..who stood by me all these yrs. and championed my work ..even in newspapers back in the day..had the drunken (not 2 much) nerve 2 tell me quietly over dinner @ some fancy joint in Cherry Hill N.J. that I had lost my spunk in my late 50s ..& that I don't cook her complicated dishes anymore...another words...I'm not in the game anymore!..Suffice 2 say , I do agree w/ her..because 1..age 2, no practice, & 3 , she has seen some of my most beautiful work..IE ..she's not WOWED anymore like the days when we 1rst went 2gether.....SO...I decided 2 go back 2my old school days & start a tsunami of shit 4 her on the weekends & provided i had acsess 2 all what I need..4 instance..(BANG THE GONG PLEASE)..2 nite I sweated my balls out an old school VEAL OSCAR......Had a neighborhood butcher slice me down some real veal tenderloin (not inexpensive)..pounded it out myself...fresh asparagus..made my own Hollandaise sauce (tech note..it should b bearnaise sauce which is tech. holl w/ Tarragon , but the wife don't like tarragon)..& get this...in stead of buying lump crab (very xpensive)..I got 2 clusters of snow crab , handpicked them myself when thawed...& SLOWLY heated them in white wine .....the steaks I pan seared in a cast iron skillet till just carmelized..(finished in a preheated oven when everything is about 2 com 2gether.. anyways..im notgonna bore u w/ step by step shit..u get the pic..o..yeah .....& baked potato w/ BLACK TRUFFLE BUTTER..courtesy of D'artagnan.....long story short..I called her bluff & will continue 2 do so w/ old school shit...many a chef has said :"Theres no school like old school"...Maybe 2 morrow..OSSO BUCO!!!!!...later dudes.
Would u guy's believe..my wife ..whom knows my shit as a chef b4 I semi retired..who stood by me all these yrs. and championed my work ..even in newspapers back in the day..had the drunken (not 2 much) nerve 2 tell me quietly over dinner @ some fancy joint in Cherry Hill N.J. that I had lost my spunk in my late 50s ..& that I don't cook her complicated dishes anymore...another words...I'm not in the game anymore!..Suffice 2 say , I do agree w/ her..because 1..age 2, no practice, & 3 , she has seen some of my most beautiful work..IE ..she's not WOWED anymore like the days when we 1rst went 2gether.....SO...I decided 2 go back 2my old school days & start a tsunami of shit 4 her on the weekends & provided i had acsess 2 all what I need..4 instance..(BANG THE GONG PLEASE)..2 nite I sweated my balls out an old school VEAL OSCAR......Had a neighborhood butcher slice me down some real veal tenderloin (not inexpensive)..pounded it out myself...fresh asparagus..made my own Hollandaise sauce (tech note..it should b bearnaise sauce which is tech. holl w/ Tarragon , but the wife don't like tarragon)..& get this...in stead of buying lump crab (very xpensive)..I got 2 clusters of snow crab , handpicked them myself when thawed...& SLOWLY heated them in white wine .....the steaks I pan seared in a cast iron skillet till just carmelized..(finished in a preheated oven when everything is about 2 com 2gether.. anyways..im notgonna bore u w/ step by step shit..u get the pic..o..yeah .....& baked potato w/ BLACK TRUFFLE BUTTER..courtesy of D'artagnan.....long story short..I called her bluff & will continue 2 do so w/ old school shit...many a chef has said :"Theres no school like old school"...Maybe 2 morrow..OSSO BUCO!!!!!...later dudes.
I made a mistake there fellas...the veal tenderloin should NOT b called steaks but scallopinis..they were floured b4 being gently sauteed in a stainless steel pan........I was thinking of something other when i type 2 fast 4 my own good...I do not know how 2 type like u good guys lol..
Is that (food) what it takes 2 get u out of the bushes ??...NO ..I AM NOT doing catering...been in that movie..does not have a good ending..I know ur watchin' Dues..what r ur more recent
Is that (food) what it takes 2 get u out of the bushes ??...NO ..I AM NOT doing catering...been in that movie..does not have a good ending..I know ur watchin' Dues..what r ur more recent
Cooking up some chili and nachos tomorrow for game.
Is that (food) what it takes 2 get u out of the bushes ??...NO ..I AM NOT doing catering...been in that movie..does not have a good ending..I know ur watchin' Dues..what r ur more recent
Cooking up some chili and nachos tomorrow for game.
Nice Dues..what kind of cheese do u melt down 4 the nachos...& do go the full dice roll w/ ur own salsa or (like me) a good bottled 1...I do top my nachos w/ thin sliced cilantro & green onion..as well as a major dollop of sour cream & guacamole..maybe some sliced black olives 2...
Is that (food) what it takes 2 get u out of the bushes ??...NO ..I AM NOT doing catering...been in that movie..does not have a good ending..I know ur watchin' Dues..what r ur more recent
Cooking up some chili and nachos tomorrow for game.
Nice Dues..what kind of cheese do u melt down 4 the nachos...& do go the full dice roll w/ ur own salsa or (like me) a good bottled 1...I do top my nachos w/ thin sliced cilantro & green onion..as well as a major dollop of sour cream & guacamole..maybe some sliced black olives 2...
Yes to all, other than the Cilantro…its fine with me but I have two here who request pass on Cilantro. Certainly huge dollop of both sour cream & quac
"Sicilian warm bean salad" 2 nite...Cannellini's sauteed w/ evoo & a little chic stock , red pepper flake, fresh parsley, onion, oregano & topped w/ Cento Italian Tuna in oil, large shrimp & artichoke hearts then drizzled w/ balsamic syrup & a little of the canned tuna oil...wife loves this stuff.
"Sicilian warm bean salad" 2 nite...Cannellini's sauteed w/ evoo & a little chic stock , red pepper flake, fresh parsley, onion, oregano & topped w/ Cento Italian Tuna in oil, large shrimp & artichoke hearts then drizzled w/ balsamic syrup & a little of the canned tuna oil...wife loves this stuff.
Holy Macrel I mean tuna….
Hood, that must have been out of this world. Looks like you will need to work extra hard for Balentines day to beat this.
Goin' out 4 Val. day dinner...4 course meal at a French joint downtown..real snazzy place...but I found some veal shanks locally..u know what that means..OSSO BUCO!!! , probably on sat. nite..it's a challenging fun filled time in the kitchen...what about u Dues ?..u & the Mrs. have anything planned??..were having our Val. dinner on Fri nite 2 avoid the crowd on Mon.
Had 2 go 2 court yesterday down center city...while we were around ( basically down the street)..wife & I went 2 the famed Reading Terminal Market...(always went there..even as a kid LOL..)..found some thick cut deep smoked pork chops...2nite made classic Lyonaisse potatos.w/ (all done in bacon grease..onions 2..w/fresh thyme,,sweet onions & brown sugar (if u want)...veggies were a ragout of braised fresh orange carrots , baby bok choy & shitake mushrooms in bacon red vinegar reduction ...Wife luvs this shit more than I love 2 cook it b cause I like 2 turn back the clock back 2 when I was a king in the Phila. culinary world when she truly loved me...I used 2 amaze her when we 1rst met ..she's all used 2 the jinks now..I even turned her into a food fuck''n critic now...Christ...she doesn't say the "wow" factor she used 2 back in the early 2000s...lol..I know she loves me , but it's not the same..she takes my shit (cooking) 4 granted now days..I will say..as I write (say) this..I am a little buzzed..maybe drunk..& I am acting F...cking stupid...this post was actually meant 4 Dues Paid but I just keep on rambling on after a recipe.....my black lab is banging on the back door ...Good Night my bb Friends.
For Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), Signora V. wanted something with a New Orleans flavor, so since the local Cajun restaurants were booked up, I made a Shrimp Étouffée with rice. Since she doesn't like things super-spicy, I went a little easy on the heat, but reserved the right to have a bottle of Hot Sauce at the ready for my own bowl.
Verdict? A definite thumbs-up.
Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler!
Signor V.
"For me, there's only my wife..."
"Sure I cook with wine - sometimes I even add it to the food!"
"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies?"
"It was a grass harp... And we listened."
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? Every, every minute?"
For Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), Signora V. wanted something with a New Orleans flavor, so since the local Cajun restaurants were booked up, I made a Shrimp Étouffée with rice. Since she doesn't like things super-spicy, I went a little easy on the heat, but reserved the right to have a bottle of Hot Sauce at the ready for my own bowl.
Verdict? A definite thumbs-up.
Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler!
Signor V.
That looks very good Signor... Etouffee from scratch is no joke..the dark brown roux w/out burning it is a task in itself..& the correct amount of the "holy trinity" (green peppers, celery ,onions) as well as the whole shebang is a good test of N.O. culinary knowledge...u showed us some real strength in ur good eats background..
Thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated, as you folks know I take my cooking seriously while also enjoying the hell out of preparing a good meal!
As far as the roux, I decided to go with a blonde one (of sorts), because after doing some research, I kept finding that N.O. cooks say that the dark roux was strictly for gumbo, but the blonde one would be appropriate for this dish. And, rather than making a true roux, they would sautee the "trinity" in butter (always butter, never oil for this one) and then add the flour, mixing carefully so it wouldn't lump up. And no tomatoes. Period. I used College Inn fish stock because I didn't have enough shrimp shells to make a proper stock from scratch. And, IMO, it was better with a bit of hot sauce added before serving. But, as they also say in the Big Easy, chacun à son goût.
Oh well... live and learn!
Planning my Friday menus for Signora V. and myself. As she's Catholic, I'll work on some nice non-meat dishes for Lent.
After being out of work for the better part of two years due to the pandemic, she is starting a new job tomorrow!!!
Off now to make her some Asian-inspired stir-fried chicken with fresh string beans and rice. She deserves it!
Signor V.
"For me, there's only my wife..."
"Sure I cook with wine - sometimes I even add it to the food!"
"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies?"
"It was a grass harp... And we listened."
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? Every, every minute?"
Thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated, as you folks know I take my cooking seriously while also enjoying the hell out of preparing a good meal!
As far as the roux, I decided to go with a blonde one (of sorts), because after doing some research, I kept finding that N.O. cooks say that the dark roux was strictly for gumbo, but the blonde one would be appropriate for this dish. And, rather than making a true roux, they would sautee the "trinity" in butter (always butter, never oil for this one) and then add the flour, mixing carefully so it wouldn't lump up. And no tomatoes. Period. I used College Inn fish stock because I didn't have enough shrimp shells to make a proper stock from scratch. And, IMO, it was better with a bit of hot sauce added before serving. But, as they also say in the Big Easy, chacun à son goût.
Oh well... live and learn!
Planning my Friday menus for Signora V. and myself. As she's Catholic, I'll work on some nice non-meat dishes for Lent.
After being out of work for the better part of two years due to the pandemic, she is starting a new job tomorrow!!!
Off now to make her some Asian-inspired stir-fried chicken with fresh string beans and rice. She deserves it!
Signor V.
Oh my God ....U r so right Signor...I remember back in '91 when I was in a Cajun /Creole based chain restaurant ( Bay Street Seafood)..when I was a kid ..they had the real deal 4 (then upcoming)..N.O. cuisine...everything u said was right...("always butter , never oil")...& now I know that u r true because u said about the shrimp shells 4 stock...God bless u..the stronger the real stock..the better the "shock"...real cookin' @ it's best ...luv u man!..
Signora V. was going to make some homemade soda bread, but she got stuck in a humongous traffic jam on the way home from work and didn't have the time so I had to get some at our local supermarket. Her idea was to bring bread in for everyone at her (new) office, but what we bought sufficed.
Of course, now I have a quart of buttermilk in the fridge without a purpose.
Made the Missus a nice Beef & Guinness stew which we enjoyed on St. Patrick's Day and beyond.
Been trying to attach photos lately, but somehow they don't want to post even though they are the right format and file size. Can't figure this one out.
Signor V.
"For me, there's only my wife..."
"Sure I cook with wine - sometimes I even add it to the food!"
"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies?"
"It was a grass harp... And we listened."
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? Every, every minute?"
Made Signora V. a nice Chicken Chardonnay with fresh steamed string beans and long grain wild rice (albeit from a package - yeah, I'm lazy).
Up burning the Midnight Oil, sipping on vodka and ginger ale and making sausages and pepper with rigatoni. Had a couple of use 'em or lose 'em Roma tomatoes so that pretty much dictated tonight's dinner. Hey - I'm not complaining and I love the stuff, regardless of my doctor's opinions on the matter. Been trying unsuccessfully to post photos. Obviously some issues with the GBB that I can't figure out.
But, as far as the cooking, I'm sure you get the idea.
Tomorrow, being Friday (actually, it's today), it's going to be meatless. Already planning something nice with seafood.
Hoodlum and DP, in the kitchen we're definitely three of a kind.
Signor V.
"For me, there's only my wife..."
"Sure I cook with wine - sometimes I even add it to the food!"
"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies?"
"It was a grass harp... And we listened."
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? Every, every minute?"
Signora V. was going to make some homemade soda bread, but she got stuck in a humongous traffic jam on the way home from work and didn't have the time so I had to get some at our local supermarket. Her idea was to bring bread in for everyone at her (new) office, but what we bought sufficed.
Of course, now I have a quart of buttermilk in the fridge without a purpose.
Made the Missus a nice Beef & Guinness stew which we enjoyed on St. Patrick's Day and beyond.
Been trying to attach photos lately, but somehow they don't want to post even though they are the right format and file size. Can't figure this one out.
Signor V.
Would love to see it and also hear how you made the stew, if you could.
I gave up using any other way to upload pics to this site and now only use Postimages.org easy to upload, choose thumbnail for forums and its Free.
Made Signora V. a nice Chicken Chardonnay with fresh steamed string beans and long grain wild rice (albeit from a package - yeah, I'm lazy).
Up burning the Midnight Oil, sipping on vodka and ginger ale and making sausages and pepper with rigatoni. Had a couple of use 'em or lose 'em Roma tomatoes so that pretty much dictated tonight's dinner. Hey - I'm not complaining and I love the stuff, regardless of my doctor's opinions on the matter. Been trying unsuccessfully to post photos. Obviously some issues with the GBB that I can't figure out.
But, as far as the cooking, I'm sure you get the idea.
Tomorrow, being Friday (actually, it's today), it's going to be meatless. Already planning something nice with seafood.
Hoodlum and DP, in the kitchen we're definitely three of a kind.
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