Cong you bing is Mandarin for the classic Chinese scallion pancake. The scallion pancake has been present in Chinese and Taiwan cuisine for centuries. Myth suggests that the pancake originated in Shanghai. This pancake is similar to the Indian paratha and there are many Indian peoples in Shanghai. There is a further legend that Marco…
Garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, are beans and very high in protein. This bean has been cultivated for about 10,000 years. It is used extensively in Mediterranean cuisine. The tan bean, kabuli type, is the most common. There is a black variety, rarely used beyond Southern Italy. The chickpea can be ground into a flour, and…
In a sense a cheesecake is “wrapped” in a crust. However, because this cake is so good, I felt it had to be added to my site. As a desert it is wonderful and can be decorated as you wish. I always slice some kind of berries or fruit and decorate the top. I is…
These are delicious pancakes and easy to make. They can be served as part of a dim sum lunch or as sweet dish after or during dinner. These are a variation, if you will, on the classic Chinese scallion pancake. First you make the pancake dough, these can be used for the scallion version so…
Vareniki are the Ukranian and Russian version of pierogi. Pierogi are the Polish dumplings that classically are stuffed with potatoes. Vareniki can also be stuffed with the potato and cheese mixture, however as with pierogi, they can be stuffed with meat, fish, other vegetables and cherries. Cherry vareniki are a wonderful dish that can be…
Sour cream is an acidic fat and a fermented product. Cream is fermented with lactic acid producing bacteria. This results is the tangy taste of sour cream and also thickens the final product. The acidic nature of the sour cream breaks down and tenderizes long protein molecules of flour proteins.Adding this to a dough increases…
Onions contain sugars and the slow long cooking process brings them to the forefront. This is the caramelizing process. Cooking slowly will cause a material to change both in color, becoming browned, and flavor, as the sugar oxidizes. This process is called pyrolysis. Caramelization occurs with ingredients such as onions, meat, vegetables, even fruit. Eastern…
Red bean paste is a wonderful ingredient that is used in a number of different types of buns throughout the Far East. In Korea it is used in porridge or shaved ice, in Japan and China the paste is incorporated into delicious buns, as in Dou Sha Bao (https://wrapitupfood.com/dou-sha-bao/).
The Adzuki bean has a long history. Originally domesticated in china approximately 3000 BC. They are called “anko” in Japan and probably arrived in Japan from China in the 1600s. The original filling was made out of meat and vegetables, however to fulfil Buddhist vegetarian requirements the red beans made in a paste was used.Adzuki…
Nice is the capital of the French Reviera, a beautiful and wonderful city on the Mediterranean Ocean. The area was first inhabited by early man about 400,000 years ago. They dwelt in the caves in the hills and nountains surrounding the area where the city was to develop. This city has a long history, first…