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comfort food

Hainan Chicken

November 17, 2015

Hello, you. Work, life, has been insanely busy for me. My internet is down, it's like 9:30 at night and I am crashing from 4 cups of coffee. I don't need help, I need sleep! But, I had a little time after work to grab a quick beer with a coworker.

Just a quick gulp and catching up before headed home to deal with cleaning and cooking, but mostly cleaning. We grabbed our beers from "Rounds" in Pasadena on North Lake Avenue.

Ok as I am writing this blog, my mom literally sent me like 10 food images. Wondering where I get my passion from.

Going back to being busy, and tired. I was using the excuse that maybe I have allergies, and that's why I'm so tired because my eyes feel heavy, swollen, and small. But no. I need to come to realization that sleeping past 12 to wake up at 6am doesn't work anymore.

So with that said, I needed to make something fast. Easy. Without making a mess. Something I can get done quickly, so I can eat it, and tell you about it. YOU. See how important you are?

HAINAN CHICKEN

I got 3 Cups of white jasmine rice, rinsed 3 times. I then filled it with chicken broth as you would for 3 cups of rice. If the palms of my hands is touching the rice with my fingers flat, the liquid should come up slightly above my knuckles.

I took one slice of lime and about 6 slices of ginger to cook together with the rice. Leave it. It's done and wait for it to cook.

The ginger scallin sauce is simple. I grated (and you can always finely mince) 4-5 tablespoons of ginger, finely chopped one large bundle of green onions (about 6 stems), and minced 2 cloves of garlic. Combine these ingredients together and dash 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Heat 1/3 of a cup of oil, I used Thrive Algae Oil because that's what I've been using lately, but you want a flavorless oil. When the oil is heated, just simply pour it into your mixture, and add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Your sauce is done!

For the chicken, I got a 4-5 pound thigh pack from the market. I trimmed off as much fat as I could so I wouldn't have that much trouble with cleaning. I boiled 1/2 a pot of water, enough to submerge the chicken, 2 tablespoons of salt to season the water, the rest of the lime slices that I didn't use, 6-8 large slices of ginger, 3 large cloves of garlic, 2 stems of green onion, and 1 tablespoon of white pepper. Now, let the chicken boil and simmer for 30 minutes on medium.

Now. The recipe is literally something I threw together. No science. But if I didn't like it, I wouldn't spend the time to tell you about it. Laying here awkwardly writing this on my phone, sucking away my data. You eat this chicken and tell me you love it!

Anyways, check your rice. If it turns out a little dry, pour in more chicken stock from your pot of chicken. When ready to serve, scoop some rice, take your chicken, and then slather the ginger scallion sauce over the chicken. The sauce is everything eaten together with the rice and chicken. My dad used to put the sauce in a can of sardines. Don't ask. I don't know. I don't like that. But he does.

This is another huge staple of something I grew up eating. Quick and comforting, and as always, extremely affordable.

now it's 9:54pm. I can still make it to sleep now! Just need to brush my teeth!

Happy cooking and let me know what you think.

remember that food should always be accessible!

Daisy

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low and slow 8 hour pork butt

November 8, 2015

After getting a Crockpot recently, I've been on this crazy low and slow cooking mood. I made a pot roast the other day and then this pork butt yesterday. I am in love with how simple this was. I kept the flavors extremely minimal so I can alter the pork according to the types of dishes I want to use it for.

Recipe

3 pounds of pork butt
1 white onion
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
Salt and Garlic powder to season pork (salt according to your preference)
6 large cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of white pepper
1/4 cup of chicken stock

Equipment:

Crockpot

I got one pork butt around 3 pounds. I trimmed off the fat from the pork. This cut of pork itself has a lot of fat running through it, so don't be afraid of cutting it down or you will end up with a big pot of fat. I cut up the meat in a large chunks, seasoned it with salt and garlic powder, and then seared it in a screaming hot pan with Thrive Algae oil. The smoke point on this oil is fantastic giving these buddies a nice golden hue.

As the pork was tanning, I sliced up 1 green pepper, 1 red pepper, and 1 white onion. I also peeled 6 large cloves of garlic, smashed. All the ingredients were thrown straight into my Crockpot with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of white pepper. Layer the pork on top, and Isplashed the top with a little chicken stock. Lid it, and then set it on low for 8 hours.

MMmmm nothing like pork cooked low and slow, bubbling in it's own fat drippings. I left the pieces of pork chunky, and didn't shred it until I dropped a few in a hot pan. I let the pork crisp on the edges. What you can always do is add spices as it's searing in the pan. Sometimes I like to add cumin, and sometimes I add a little cayenne and paprika. Again, it really depends on the types of flavors you are going after. But this came out so good like this I just left it alone.

I cooked 3 cups of Jasmine rice because that's what I had. I like to cook extra rice to have enough for work. I chopped up 3/4 cups of cilantro, and squeezed 1 whole juicy lime (you might need 2). Adding 2 tablespoons of butter is optional, but I drizzled a little bit of the pork fat instead.

I quickly mashed up an avocado with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt as a side. Lastly, I popped open a can of Jalapenos in Escabeche. This was SO GOOD I even washed the dishes after.

With the left over meats, we will have BBQ pork sliders with coleslaw!

Now, go and get a Crockpot and pork butts.

Daisy

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Mui Choy Kou Yoke

November 5, 2015

If I was a comfort food, how will I look like? I've already talked about how rice is a huge necessity in my life, and without it, I would die. But, if I were to look like some kind of Chinese food, it will be this dish right here.

Muy Choi is some kind of preserved mustard greens which needs to be soaked and re-hydrated before you cook them. My mom should be teaching me the recipe soon, so stay put. But, the work that goes into this is pretty messy. Basically, you are deep frying the skin of the pork belly until it gets super bubbly and golden before you stew it for a few hours until its fork tender. That's how mom makes it. So that's the way. If you zoomed in, you can see the beautiful cracked golden skin from the frying, though it's not crunchy anymore. The sauce is just components of chicken stock, a few soy sauces, some brown sugar and tons of garlic. My mom likes to throw in orange peel, but I like to leave it out.

I had this for dinner last night with a little sriracha drizzled over. I ate this with a giant spoon, baggy sweat clothes while watching the Food Network. How does that not sound amazing? It's pretty cold tonight. And I can barely feel my nose and toes. If this was my last meal, I have no regrets. Why? Because this was my moms cooking. One of those "Come by, I made your favorite" type of phone calls.

So if I really did die (someone please knock on wood), just know, I died in a happy place because I've had one of my most cherished, favorite if not THE one, Chinese dish of all time.

Thank you mother even though you are crazy 95% of the time.

Daisy

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Jazz Cat Shabu

November 5, 2015

I've been going to Jazz Cat ever since they opened their first location in Alhambra, when it used to be next to Noodle World on Valley. They closed that location a few years ago, to open a larger location in San Gabriel. Now, they have a few more locations spread out. I do wish, that they kept the original style of when they first opened in Alhambra. The presentation was different from the tradition hot pot we are used to, it was actually pretty. And, they served this seafood/pork paste in a bamboo tube. Now, it's just a simple plate of protein with the veggies.

I've gotten sick this week, and have been trying to recover, but this weather has been kicking my ass. Los Angeles is finally cold, and here goes everyone complaining now that they missed the sun. Are you kidding me? It was like yesterday when the whole population of Los Angeles were crying for summer to be over. And now it is. So get used to the it. The cold mornings where getting out of bed is like traveling through a blizzard storm. Those runny nose days and green snots.

Luckily, I am not that sick. I am smart enough to force myself to drink fluids all day. Even though I had wine, rum and beer (don't ask), I am still somewhat well rested enough to get through the day. John was nice enough to suggest eating out so I didn't have to cook. But picking a place is always the hardest part. Why is that? No it's not a girl thing. If I had a choice, it will be buffets, burgers, tacos and fried chicken. I have the worst, biggest appetite you will ever meet. And it's scary.

But, Jazz Cat is a place I ALWAYS want to eat at. Raw marbled meat, cooked gently in hot seasoned broth, dipped in Satay sauce, and then eaten with a big hunk of rice. We always order the same thing.

You get the option of ordering it regular, or the "T-rex" version which has more meat, but less vegetables. MORE meat all the way. I didn't order this spicy because I really love the flavors of the soup. If I wanted something spicy I would probably try their other soup bases, and they have a lot to pick from.

I've had many hot pot places all over SGV. And there isn't any place I would rather eat at than Jazz Cat. The meats are extremely tender and delicious. It's not all you can eat, but I don't really care for a place like that when I get full from this. For a little under $14 before tax and tip, you can get good quality beef with a delicious soup base. John cooks his eggs over-easy while I like my eggs to be soft boiled.

What I do first: Throw in all my vegetables. I like my veggies extra cooked in the sauce as it also releases flavor into the soup. Once the soup starts to boil, grab your beef, give it a quick swish, dip it in your satay sauce, and eat it with the rice. I can't even begin to tell you how happy it makes me to have good hot pot. Screw fat kid eats cake, it's fat kid eats rice. My body felt extremely soothed, warm, and ready to sleep which was much needed.

Oh and guess what? The service here is always amazing. Unless you are just a total douche bag, then no. But every time we come, the servers are always coming by and checking if everything was okay and if we needed anything. Like, if we needed anything? Who asks that in SGV? not a living soul. It's more like, don't bother me unless you want a refill or your bill. Not here, service gets 100% from me.

I just can't give up rice. Ever. I think I might die, like, really. I have a large potato sack worth of Jasmine rice because I just love eating it with my dishes. The whole experience just wouldn't be the same. There's a phrase I grew up with called "Pah fan" which literally mean dig rice. So when we eat rice, we would pah fan, because we are literally digging the rice into our mouths. Funny huh? That explains why I eat a lot of rice since my parents would always tell us that.

If my brother David sees this post, he would be pissed that we didn't invite him... BUT with that said, I am totally down to come back again!

See you soon Jazz Cat.

121 E Valley Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776

Happy swishy swooshy.

Daisy

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Phoenix - classic Chinese cuisine

November 2, 2015

Phoenix has been around since 1965. One of my recent posts (here) about Phoenix in Alhambra was opened in 1997.

My father immigrated to the States in 1980, and like most Chinese immigrants, a lot of them resided in Chinatown. Makes sense right? My dad lived right across from Phoenix, so you can imagine how often he ate here. There's a server there, that has been working for Phoenix in Chinatown since 1981. That means my dad has been there longer than he has.

Our whole family would come dine here pretty often for their signature Phoenix boneless chicken. Not knowing much as a child, I didn't know how precious the food actually was. When people ask me, what's a good authentic Chinese cuisine, I would have a blur. Like.. Besides white rice? Because I know we eat that. Without that we would die. But after many food adventures, I always find my most comforting Chinese food memories, besides my parents cooking, but to be kept here.

It was a late dinner this past weekend, and my brother David and his girlfriend Angela were coming home after a vacation trip to New York. As tired as we were, we couldn't say no to a family dinner at Phoenix. I finished a Taco tasting for Tacos Tu Madre that day, had 3 drinks, then edited and blogged for 4 hours. Yeah I was pretty tired.

I didn't think I was hungry until the menu items were thrown around. Phoenix chicken... Salty Sour pickled cabbage... Fried intestines... I don't need anything to have my palate awake and read to eat.

At the Phoenix in Chinatown, here is where you will find dishes that are not served at other locations.

This is one of ours, and definitely my dads favorite dish. This may sell out sometimes depending if they have the pickled cabbage or not. The owner of Phoenix still makes the cabbage, in house, himself. The dish is also sweet which marries nicely with the sourness of the cabbage. The portions are also pretty hefty.

I grew up eating their boneless chicken, but have come to realization that I love this with bone in so much more. And honestly, I like to pick at the bones for the meat. So much more flavor, and besides, I am a professional at his. Ask people who know me. By the way, this was a half order.

Water Spinach with Malay sauce (excuse the blur)

One of our favorite veggies (I know everything is a "favorite"). As mentioned before, the leaves soaks up so much flavor of the Malay sauce (or any sauce you pick). The stems has a nice snap. I love chewing this with my rice. The rice soaks up the sauce, scoop one big bite, veggie, bite of chicken. Pretty damn perfect.

I love this dish! Only if made correctly. I'm not sure if they make the sauce in house, but assuming they do because it turns out slightly different sometimes. It's a little tangy, and has a nice round of sweet notes from the tangerine. The pineapple and green peppers are a good palate cleanser. And, these aren't as crispy. A lot of Chinese food, is breaded so it can adhere to sauces better. Like a lot of different cultures, this technique is widely used.

Squishy interior, crunchy ext. What more can I say? This is, however, an acquired flavor. I'm not expecting everyone to be popping a few of these in their mouths and enjoy the flavor and texture. But if you can get pass what you are eating, you just might, actually fall in love. Hey, eating this is like white rice to me. It's hella normal and it's not disgusting at all. A salad with no meat is disgusting. Sorry.

Another specialty you will only find here. A big Cantonese cuisine that was also made in our household. The oxtail is braised for hours in Asian spices like 5 spice and ginger, probably 50 kinds of soy sauce, till its fork tender. Though I think this needed a good 1-2 more hours, it was still very flavorful. And look at all that tail.

Ummm yeah this was for me. Always order this with your food. I eat the Jalapeños and everything.

Going back to my dad. It's amazing and scary how time flies. I know I'm young, have so much ahead of me, but being here just makes me feel some of the most important memories are passed.

My dad and the waiter that had been working there for over 30 years, were discussing past workers at Phoenix. Some retired. Some passed away. My dad would think some workers were young, but those memories were long gone as they are 85 now.

If you are ever in Los Angeles, and want Chinese, Cantonese, food, come here. To this location in downtown. And take a look around. It may seem updated because it had been renovated not too long ago, but there's still a warmth here that you won't find anywhere else. The veteran that has been there for 30+ years is basically, the only history we have left of that place.

And always, look at their menu board for their specials. It's written in Chinese, but I'm sure you may ask a server to assist you.

Now go bond with your family and loved ones. Moments like these are not only for the holidays.

301 Ord St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

daisy

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Wine & Dine

Hainan Chicken

low and slow 8 hour pork butt

Mui Choy Kou Yoke

Jazz Cat Shabu

Phoenix - classic Chinese cuisine