Monthly Archives: February 2015

Daikon Carrot Salad

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1 1/2 pounds daikon, peeled
Kosher salt
1 pound carrots
1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 3/4 teaspoons white sesame seeds
1 3/4 teaspoons black sesame seeds
Shave the daikon into ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a colander; let drain in the sink, tossing occasionally, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, shave the carrots into ribbons with the peeler.Make the dressing: Whisk the ginger, vinegar, lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the vegetable oil and sesame oil until blended.

Toast the sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until the white seeds are golden, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon seeds to the dressing.

Toss the daikon and carrots with the dressing and season with salt.  Top with remaining sesame seeds.

Brown Sugar

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To make one cup of light brown sugar, combine 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 1/2 tablespoons molasses; to make one cup of dark brown sugar, combine 1 cup granulated sugar with 1/4 cup molasses.

Vanilla Extract

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1. Buy vanilla beans.

2. Get a bottle to store your extract: Get a couple extras, because this makes fantastic gifts. An old, well-sterilized vinegar or oil bottle will work here, or a small wine bottle, or even an old glass vanilla bottle.

3. Buy alcohol: Alcohol is used as a base for extracts because it doesn’t spoil and is easily infused with flavors. The gold standard of extracts is pure alcohol, but that’s not readily available everywhere. Instead, I use vodka, which is by definition colorless and flavorless.

4. 1 whole vanilla bean for every 2 liquid ounces of alcohol. So, for an 8-ounce bottle, I use 4 whole beans, for a 12-ounce bottle (pictured up top), I used 6, for a 16-ounce bottle (the one I made last year that sparked this conversation), I used 8 beans. I go solely by bean count; I don’t fuss about whether the beans are bigger or smaller because bigger doesn’t necessarily mean more flavor.

Split each bean lengthwise and drop in your empty bottle. If your bottle is short, you can first cut your beans down in size so that they’ll easily fit. Then, split each bean lengthwise and drop in your empty bottle. Fill to a 1/2-inch from the top with alcohol. Give it a few shakes and place it somewhere that you’ll see it, like a cabinet, but away from the light.

5. Be patient: For the first week or two, I give the bottle a little shake — and who are we kidding, a deep inhale of admiration — whenever I see it but I’m not sure there is any scientific evidence that this speeds the process along. Within 5 days, your extract will already be a medium amber color (see top photo). Most people recommend that you wait 2 weeks to use it, but I prefer to wait 4 to 6. I know it sounds crazy, but I’m all about getting the maximum impact from my investment and at 6 weeks, it’s a downright near coffee-colored luxury unmatched by anything you can buy in the store. It is worth the wait.

Kimchi Deviled Eggs

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7 large eggs
2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
1 to 2 teaspoons yellow mustard (depends on your taste)
1/4 teaspoon vinegar (white or brown rice vinegar)
1 tablespoon gochujang
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 cup kimchi, roughly chopped
Crispy bacon strips, crumbled into bits (optional)
Diced chives for garnish

Place the eggs in a small pot and fill it with cold water. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Once the water starts boiling, turn to heat to low and let the eggs cook for about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and slowly pour out the hot water and fill the pot with cold water, covering the eggs for about a minute or two.

Peel the eggs, slice them lengthwise, and gently remove the yolks, transferring them to a mixing bowl. Arrange the empty egg whites on a platter, cut-side up.

Using a fork, mash the yolks until they are completely crumbled. Add the mayonnaise, yellow mustard and vinegar and mix together until you form a smooth paste. Add the gochujang and mix together until well blended. Set aside.

Using a small- to medium-sized skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium high heat and sauté the chopped kimchi for 3 to 4 minutes, or until heated through. Remove from the heat and set aside. This quick cooking deepens the flavor of the kimchi.

Transfer the egg yolk filling to a plastic bag or piping bag fitted with a tip. Press the bag with your hands to push all the filling to one corner and press any air out of the top. If using a plastic zip top bag, snip one corner off with a pair of scissors.

Pipe the filling into the cup of each egg white, filling the cups so that the filling mounds a little over the top. Squeeze the bag from the top to force the filling downward. Alternatively, you can scoop the filling into the egg whites with a small spoon.

Garnish each deviled egg with the sautéed kimchi and top with the crispy bacon bits and chives. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

  • The sesame oil is key to this recipe. Try not to use olive oil or vegetable oil when sautéing your kimchi.

Raw Beet Salad

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  • beets
  • shallots
  • 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp.sherry vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. parsley or dill, or 1 tsp. rosemary or tarrragon

Peel beets and shallot, shred in food processor.   Toss with dressing.

Elk Stew

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  1. Cut meat into 1″ cubes and pat dry. Mix flour, salt and pepper in a bowl or plastic bag. Add meat cubes, a few at a time to coat. Shake off excess flour and reserve.
  2. Heat a large heavy pot over medium-high heat and fry bacon until crisp. Remove, blot excess fat, chop and reserve. Note; this can be done in advance.
  3. Heat olive oil in the same pot and quickly brown meat in batches on all sides. Transfer to a large bowl and reserve.
  4. Reduce heat to medium, add onions, carrots, celery and potatoes. Cook, stirring until onions are softened.
  5. Stir in tomato paste, juniper, thyme and bay leaf, then add wine and wine vinegar. Bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from the bottom.
  6. Add stock and reserved meat with juices to the pot. Return to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally until meat is tender. Add additional flour to thicken or water to thin to desired gravy consistency. Stir in bacon.