Som Tum Thai: Green Papaya Salad | 泰式青木瓜沙律

附中文食譜

Thai food lovers will most certainly be no stranger to som tum (ส้มตำ) - or green papaya salad - the salad that is at once impossibly fiery and refreshingly crunchy; intensely savory and insanely tangy - in short, it is a kaleidoscope of explosive sensation on a plate.  

Som tum originates in Isaan, the northeastern region of Thailand bordering Laos (some may argue that the dish originally came from Laos), though it is now widely consumed across the country with a multitude of variations which may include salted crab, fermented fish paste, or green mango in place of papaya. What most of us come to recognize as the typical som tum is actually called "som tum thai" (ส้มตำไทย) - a classic version that is perhaps most palatable internationally as it does not contain any of the more pungent ingredients.

The core ingredients of a som tum are shredded green papaya, tomatoes, green long beans, dried shrimp, and peanuts, pounded together with chilies, fresh garlic, palm sugar, fish sauce, and juicy limes, all of which combine to create a perfect balance of salty, sweet, spicy, and sour. Som tum is almost always prepared with a large clay or wooden mortar and pestle - a must have in any Thai kitchen really - which allows for easy pounding, crushing, and melding of ingredients and flavors. After all, the word tum in som tum is derived from the verb "to pound" (and "sour" for "som"). I have attempted making som tum before by simply tossing the ingredients without a mortar and pestle and, trust me, the salad was just that - a bland, soul-less, "deconstructed" salad. 

Now, what if you haven't got space for an unwieldy mortar and pestle at home? Well, join the club. I may not have one, but instead make use of the resources at home and retrieved a large glass mixing bowl, paired it with my wooden cocktail muddler bought from the Japanese dollar store, and together they just worked wonders.

When it comes to prepping the green papaya, I have at one point or another observed chefs and street cart vendors in Bangkok shredding the green papayas by vigorously slashing and paring away the surface of the fruit, a traditional method that yields an intentionally coarse and uneven shred for extra crunch. My knife skills may be questionable, and I am in no hurry of slashing a finger or two, so I resort to my trustee grater and alternate between the medium and large-sized holes for that effortlessly rustic, crunchy result. 

For the most authentic result, it is ideal to sweeten the dish with Thai palm sugar, available at most southeast Asian grocery shops; if unavailable, substitute with soft light brown sugar for a "same same but different" caramelized taste. With sourness being a dominant flavor in som tum - as the name suggests - the use of fresh lime is essential for a citrusy tang to balance off the sweetness of palm sugar and saltiness of fish sauce and dried shrimp. It is also not uncommon to use a bit of tamarind water in addition to lime juice for a more complex note of sweetness and tartness, so give that a try!
 

On a different note, around this time of year, people all across Thailand would normally be gearing up for the Thai New Year celebrations. Under the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, however, numerous Songkran events are cancelled, families are urged to stay in, the young are asked to avoid visiting their elderly family members in order to protect the most vulnerable, and international travel continues to be severely restricted. What is usually the most festive national holiday, doused with globally renowned ritual water splashing that draws tens of thousands of visitors each year, may present an oddly quiet scene this year. As with the rest of the planet, I hope that this global crisis will soon come to an end, and that life can resume its track as soon as possible for all.

With that said, sawadee pee mai krub!

Ingredients
Half a green papaya (about 2-3 cups shredded)
Half a small carrot
6 string beans or 2 long beans
1-2 small tomatoes or 6 cherry tomatoes
1-3 red bird’s eye chilies 
2 garlic cloves

1 1/2 tablespoons Thai palm sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

Juice of 1-2 Thai limes

2 tablespoons peanuts

1 tablespoon dried shrimp (optional)
 

Directions

1. In a small, dry frying pan, toast the peanuts over medium heat until fragrant and golden brown. Remove and set aside.

2. Peel and shred green papaya and carrot with a julienne peeler or a regular cheese grater with medium to large sized holes. Trim ends and cut long beans into 2-inch segments. Slice tomatoes into wedges, or halve the cherry tomatoes if using.

3. Cut each garlic clove into three pieces. Coarsely smash garlic and whole chilies in a mortar and pestle. Add the palm sugar, beans and tomatoes. Lightly pound to bruise the beans and break up the tomatoes, and ensure that the palm sugar is fully dissolved. Squeeze in the lime juice and fish sauce and pound to combine.

4. Add the green papaya, carrot, dried shrimp (if using), and toasted peanuts. Lightly pound and toss to combine. Check seasoning. The taste should be sweet and salty in perfect balance, with a sharp, sour and spicy tang. Plate up and enjoy fresh!

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【 泰式青木瓜沙律 】

Sawadee Pee Mai Krub！適逢泰國迎接新年，同大家分享地道前菜簡易食譜！青木瓜沙律 (ส้มตำ) 味道酸辣鮮甜又醒胃，往往叫人食得津津有味。就是使用街市常見用來煲湯的那種青木瓜，十元八塊就可以泡製爽脆新鮮的 Som Tum - 在家都能輕易造出正宗泰國風味！

材料：
青木瓜                 半個
甘筍                     半枝
長豆角                 2 條
小蕃茄                 1 個（或車厘茄 6 粒）
指天椒                 1 - 3 隻
蒜頭                     2 瓣
棕櫚糖                 1 1/2 湯匙
魚露                     1 1/2 湯匙
泰國青檸            1 - 2 個
花生                     2 湯匙
蝦米                     隨意
 
1. 花生用乾鍋烘香，備用。
2. 青木瓜和甘筍去皮刨絲，長角豆切段，番茄切件（車厘茄切半）。
3. 把蒜頭和指天椒摏碎。
4. 加長角豆、番茄和棕櫚糖輕輕摏碎至糖完全溶解。
5. 倒入魚露和新鮮青檸汁，拌勻來混合各種材料。
6. 加入青木瓜、甘筍絲、蝦米和花生，一邊繼續輕輕摏碎、一邊拌勻，令各樣材料更為入味。試味並再作適當調味，即成！

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Summer Gazpacho | 夏日西班牙番茄凍湯

As the height of summer draws upon us, nothing quite beats a midday iced lemonade or a cooling cup of gazpacho. Forget about hours slaving away in a steamy kitchen stirring soup over a hot stove - keep things simple and fresh with gazpacho! Gazpacho is a quintessential Andalusian summer soup bursting with ripe-from-the-garden flavors. Chilled and raw, this soup is truly a breeze to make, requiring only to be made hours in advance for flavors to mingle and develop - making gazpacho an ideal starter for brunch, summer entertaining, weeknight dinners, or even picnics. A refreshing gazpacho effectively opens up the appetite; it is also the most effortless way to get fresh vegetables into your diet!

An idyllic summer picnic at the beach with Jayla; cooling off with chilled gazpacho and jámon ibérico for a touch of Spain! [Gold Coast Beach, Hong Kong, Jun 2019]

Not unlike the other world revered Spanish classic - paella -, gazpacho generates heated debates over what constitutes the most authentic recipe. Nevertheless, I believe we would all agree that the gazpacho as we all know it would typically involve tomatoes, cukes, some type of pepper, good olive oil, bread, and seasoning. Regional variations in taste and produce as well as culinary creativity have brought other interpretations of gazpacho into mainstream, with melon-based, green, or even white-hued gazpacho being some of the most recognized.

In my book, there is no one way to do a smashing gazpacho. There are infinite ways to tailor this hot-weather soup to your liking. Some like it chunky, others velvety smooth. You may prefer it spicy; and some prefer to go without bread. There are, however, ways where gazpacho can go really wrong. At its worst, I've made gazpacho that tasted like watered down salsa, or worst yet - a gazpacho that tasted more of bell peppers than anything (eww). You also want to make sure your gazpacho does not leave you with an invincible garlic-onion breath unless Dracula's in town.

Personally, I prefer to leave out the bread as I find it diluting the amazing flavors. Furthermore, the addition of olive oil to the vegetables produces a creamy emulsion and gives enough of a body to the soup, hence it could do without the extra boost. Besides, leaving out the bread keeps the gazpacho gluten-free and suitable for most special diets!

While peeling cucumbers help yield a more vibrant gazpacho, keeping the peel on maximizes nutrients

The recipe I share here is but one way that I love my gazpacho. I once swapped bell peppers out for a mildly hot, long red pepper - and could not turn back since. I tend to eyeball my ingredients, tasting and adjusting along the way, so use the measurements loosely as a reference and always start with smaller quantities of garlic and onion and add more as desired.

No cooking required: blitz everything with a blender or immersion blender

Pair this gazpacho with waffles for a complete and easy weekend brunch!
Sweet Potato and Bacon Waffles (click for recipe)

What you'll need... (for two)
3 - 4 medium tomatoes
1 long red pepper*
1 Persian or baby cucumber
1 clove garlic
1/4 of an onion
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

*Note: substitute with red bell pepper for a non-spicy version
To serve: sliced or diced cucumber and tomato | chives | croutons  

Directions...
1. Core and cut tomatoes into large chunks. Peel and de-seed cucumber. De-seed pepper and remove pith.

Tip: gloves are recommended to protect your fingers when de-seeding hot peppers - the heat will sting!

2. For a smooth consistency, add tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, olive oil, salt and pepper, and part of the garlic and onion to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more garlic and onion as needed. For a coarser texture, reserve some of the ingredients and pulse briefly and mix in with the soup.

Tip: for best result, blitz the olive oil together with other ingredients rather than whisking it in afterwards

3. Chill the soup for at least two hours or overnight. To serve, divide soup into small bowls and garnish with cucumber and tomato, chives, a crack of sea salt and black pepper, and enjoy with croutons if desired. ¡Buen provecho!

Do you have your own favorite gazpacho recipe? 
Share with me or leave a comment! #alvinspenthousekitchen 
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【 夏日西班牙番茄凍湯 】

炎炎夏日 最適合整碗清新醒胃嘅 Gazpacho! 毋需開火烹調，不入廚房嘅朋友仔都能輕易炮製。冷湯的做法變化多端，以下是我的 指定食譜 — 醒神健康之餘帶點辛辣，保證另你喝不停口！不妨整定用便攜壺帶去沙灘野餐啊～！

材料：

蕃茄                           3 - 4 個

紅尖椒*                      1 隻

青瓜仔                       1 隻

蒜瓣                           1 瓣

洋蔥                           1/4 個

初榨橄欖油               1 1/2 湯匙

雪莉醋或紅酒醋       2 茶匙

海鹽、黑胡椒           適量

* 喜歡不辛辣的朋友，可改用紅燈籠椒

裝飾：蕃茄、青瓜薄片| 蔥花 | 麵包脆粒

做法：

1. 蕃茄切件。青瓜去皮、去籽、切段。紅椒去籽、切片。

2. 將上述材料放入攪拌機內或用手持攪拌捧打至幼滑再作適當調味。如想增加口感，不妨預留一些蔬菜粒。

3. 放入雪櫃冷凍 2 小時或過夜，風味更佳。隨喜好加上裝飾，即成！

Did you make this recipe? 
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Heirloom Tomato & Stracciatella Bruschetta | 復古番茄意大利芝士蒜香多士

附中文食譜

Every summer, farmers markets everywhere hustle and bustle with chefs and home cooks, beaming with color and radiating a vibrant energy seemingly distinctive to this season. Even with nothing in particular on my shopping list, I make time for a farmers market visit - if not to check out what's in season, at least to remind myself the simple fact that in many parts of the world, seasons still influence and inform our day-to-day decisions on what to eat.

Besides the overflowing crates of fragrant peaches and nectarines and punnets of summer berries are always a festive array of heirloom tomatoes. Red, brown, green, yellow, zebra-striped - heirloom tomatoes come in all shapes, sizes and colors and, unlike the store-bought hybrids, are each so unique that often no two are the same. Many a times I find myself curious about these gnarly, lumpy yet gorgeous fruits. So, what exactly are heirloom tomatoes?

Heirloom tomatoes are basically open-pollinated varieties of tomatoes that have been passed down for generations without crossbreeding. This is in contrast to typical supermarket tomatoes, which have been carefully bred to carry particular traits: things like higher productivity, enhanced durability, uniform shape for ease of packaging, greater resistance to pests and diseases - often at the expense of flavor. Have you ever swooned over a perfectly blemish-free, luscious-looking tomato, taken it home and taken a bite, only to find it mealy and completely tasteless? Unfortunately, that has happened to me all too often, seeing that I live in Hong Kong. Heirloom varieties, on the other hand, are genetically unique and produce fruits that carry distinct flavor and texture, widely believed to be superior to their mass-marketed hybrid counterparts. The "disadvantage"? Thinner skin, shorter shelf-life, lower yield and greater susceptibility to disease - all of which logically make up for a heftier price tag.

With all that said, are heirloom tomatoes worth the price? Eager to find out just how different they are, I finally turned a blind eye to the price tag (often more than double that of supermarket hybrids), wrapped each individual tomato in bubble wrap, and with the greatest care transported them as carry-on luggage thousands of miles away like some museum relic from New York's Union Square Greenmarket to my kitchen. All was smooth until my suitcase flopped and my bag plopped on the ground on my last stretch home. It was a miracle that all my tomatoes made it home whole - not as sauce. Was it hard to slice into my first ever heirloom tomato? Oh yes, it was just about as hard as cutting into the most revered giant white peach from Japan (I made sure they all got a well-deserved photo shoot beforehand, just in case).

The verdict? Yes, these heirloom tomatoes were remarkably juicy, fleshy, bursting with flavor that slightly differed one variety from another, with a skin so thin it was nothing like the typical hybrids I was used to. All that aside, it is important to take note that store-bought hybrid varieties are not necessarily inherently inferior. A well-grown hybrid cultivated on land that is tended with care and quality in mind can be just as good as any well-grown heirloom variety. Any ordinary supermarket tomatoes I have bought in London and Italy are still a far cry from whatever I can find in Hong Kong. Hence, I personally think heirloom tomatoes are worth the price in so far as a treat exclusive to the summer season (chances are any heirloom tomatoes found in winter are out of season).

Some foods are exceptional - if not better - enjoyed in their most natural state, adorned with nothing more than perhaps a crack of sea salt and black pepper and a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil; uncooked and unmasked by complications. One prime example is the prized heirloom tomato.

Another example is Stracciatella di Bufala - fresh cream thickened with thin strands of mozzarella - a sexily milky, erotically oozy Italian cheese that I fell in love with at first bite years ago dining at Eataly, Rome (their stracciatella is made on site and in plain sight). In a nut shell, stracciatella is Burrata without the outer shell of mozzarella - the buttery center that is as good straight out of the tub as plopped on a wood-fired pizza or simply spread on toast.

The creaminess of stracciatella pairs harmoniously with sweet, fleshy heirloom tomatoes, allowing each to shine through beautifully. When layered on crusty, garlic-rubbed toast, the result is pure magic. The bread, of course, plays a vital role in tying together this magic. For me the perfect bruschetta will be lightly charred at the crust, crunchy on the exterior and soft and chewy inside, where a faint yeasty sourness meets the grassy, peppery notes of fine olive oil and a hint of garlic. Sometimes, magic is this simple.

What you'll need...
Sourdough or any crusty bread, sliced 1.5 cm thick
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic
140 g Stracciatella or Burrata cheese
2-3 medium sized heirloom tomatoes, sliced 1 cm thick
Baby spinach, arugula, and/or basil (optional)
Sea salt and black pepper

Directions...
1. Toast the bread on both sides until lightly charred on a preheated grill or grill pan. Drizzle with olive oil. If using a skillet, spray or drizzle bread with olive oil then toast until lightly charred on both sides.

2. Cut the garlic cloves on a diagonal. As soon as the bread is ready, rub both sides with the garlic cut-side down to lightly flavor the toast. Using a spoon, dollop and spread stracciatella over the bread. Arrange some baby greens of choice on top and layer on the sliced tomatoes. Finish with a crack of sea salt and black pepper. For an extra herbaceous note, top sparingly with a sprinkle of basil chiffonade.

【 復古番茄意大利芝士蒜香多士 】

季節限定、獨一無二的「復古番茄」Heirloom tomato，千里迢迢由 New York farmers market 護送回家，配上超 creamy 的意大利芝士 Stracciatella, 滋味無窮！要品嚐大自然最原始的味道，就係咁簡單！

材料
酸種麵包 (Sourdough)                    切 1.5 公分厚
初榨橄欖油                                      適量
新鮮蒜瓣                                           2 瓣
絲翠奇亞芝士 (Stracciatella)        140 克（可以布拉塔芝士取替）
復古番茄                                          2-3 隻，切片約 1 公分厚
嫩菠菜葉、火箭菜、羅勒葉       隨個人喜好
海鹽和黑胡椒                                 適量

做法
1. 預熱烤盤，把麵包兩面烤至金黃色和輕微焦香後撒上橄欖油。如使用平底鍋，先在麵包雙面塗上橄欖油，再在熱鍋上烤至兩面呈金黃色。
2. 將蒜瓣切開，以切口磨擦於烤好的麵包表面。
3. 在麵包上塗上絲翠奇亞芝士，再放上嫩菠菜葉或火箭菜（隨個人喜好）和切片蕃茄。完成後撒上適量鹽和胡椒作調味。喜歡香草的話，可撒上少量羅勒葉絲。

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Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing | 自家製凱撒沙律醬 (No Mayonnaise!)

附中文食譜

Can Caesar dressing be made from scratch? The answer is yes absolutely, and you'll never go back to store bought ones ever.

My earliest memory of Caesar salad was from lunches at the country club where my family used to go. A mix of crisp romaine leaves, bacon, and crunchy croutons tossed in the tangy, creamy dressing would be served in deep wooden bowls, finished with a  generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese. I always asked for more. Then there was the Caesar salad from bistros like Simply Life Cafe, where slivers of romaine hearts were served whole, stacked elegantly, and accompanied by anchovy fillets and runny soft-boiled eggs.

No matter the presentation and variation, the single most important element that makes a Caesar salad what it is is the dressing. When eating out, I cannot help but always contemplate whether the Caesar dressing in question was made in-house or came in huge commercial tubs, laden with all kinds of unwanted stuff. You would know what I mean when you pick up a bottle and read the label at your neighborhood supermarket.

Create a classic Caesar Salad with crisp Romaine hearts, pancetta, croutons and shaved Parmesan!

So, to take the guesswork out I began making and tweaking my own homemade Caesar dressing a couple of years ago. Using Greek yogurt, the dressing is naturally tangy, thick and creamy, so you can confidently ditch the guilt in mayonnaise. With minced garlic, anchovy, real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, this homemade dressing is the real deal and will rock your classic Caesar salad, Caesar chicken wraps, or as a dip for Buffalo wings and celery sticks with a fraction of the calories.

Greek yogurt is a healthier alternative to raw eggs and mayo, giving the creaminess and tang!

What you'll need...
1/3 cup Greek yogurt (low fat or nonfat as desired)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove, finely minced
2 anchovy fillets, mashed, or 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions...

In a mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Toss salad with dressing and keep any remainder refrigerated for up to one week. 

Suggested salad ingredients:
Romaine lettuce or baby kale
Bacon, pancetta, or proscuitto
Croutons or roasted chickpeas
Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

《自家製凱撒沙律醬 》

Upgrade your classic Caesar with baby Kale, Prosciutto and garlic bread croutons!

眾多沙律的種類中，凱撒沙律幾乎是眾所最熟悉的
但究竟市面上常見的凱撒沙律醬裏藏了些什麼成分？
到底可唔可以自己整呢？答案係 － 絕對可以！
自家製的沙律醬真材實料、滋味無比，
完全無添加，比市面上的低脂健康，仲好簡單添！

材料：
希臘乳酪  100 克（脫脂或低脂）初搾特級純橄欖油  1 湯匙
新鮮檸檬汁  1/2  湯匙
喼汁  1/2 茶匙
法式芥末醬  1 茶匙
蒜末  1 茶匙
油浸鯷魚  2 條（或鯷魚醬 1/2 茶匙）
新鮮磨碎的帕馬臣芝士  25 克
黑胡椒  適量

做法：
把鯷魚剁碎，將所有材料放進大碗裏，用發蛋器拌勻即成！

備註：建議冷藏沙律醬並於七天內用完

[Follow me on Instagram @alvinckl and @alvin.penthousekitchen and check out my Facebook Fan Page!]
 

Last-Minute Apple and Mint Cabbage Slaw

附中文食譜

My mother was a phenomenal home cook and a natural entertainer. Old family friends fondly recall the days when my mother threw banquet-style feasts at our large Chinese antique table, wooing a dining room full of guests with course after course of meticulously presented dishes fit for emperors and empresses.

My mother would begin planning weeks in advance, polishing our heirloom silverware set retrieved from the depths of storage, orchestrating her nine-course menu to ensure a seamless score for the palate.

Not a single detail escaped her. Whether it is the wreath of paper-thin cucumber half moons encircling her Poached King Prawn Salad; or the individually rolled and plated hand towels accompanying her famous Wok Fried Crabs with Ginger and Scallions - my mother executed each and every facet of her performance with precision.

Yes, my mother was a perfectionist, and she took her craft seriously. Her banquets were venerable culminations of an extraordinary culinary gift and a life dedicated to feeding her family well.

Only one thing, if any, was often missing from her banquets. Her.

Having inherited a passion for cooking and home entertaining, I periodically throw party gatherings at home, once catering up to fourteen hungry friends cramped into a tiny apartment. While my parties are never going to be full-blown formal banquets like my mother's, they invariably involved extensive planning and certain levels of stress, ranging from sheer stage fright to virtual breakdowns.

Entertaining means spending time with your friends!

The culprit? Over-ambition, poor time management, occasional kitchen mishaps (i.e. the oven rack that collapsed under the enormous weight of a three-pound pumpkin cheesecake circa 2011. Both the cake and I survived, though). Oh, and obviously, the lack of a dish washing machine is much to blame. Nonetheless, nothing can be worse than disappearing from your own party, slaving away in the heat of the kitchen and getting frazzled by things like cream that is yet to be whipped.

It took me years to finally understand Nigella Lawson's philosophy in entertaining. Entertaining means "spending time with your friends, not anguishing alone in the kitchen." And here are my two cents:

Things need not be perfect nor utterly life-changing. And, in my opinion, it is perfectly okay to cheat once a while with store-bought frozen pastry.

When deciding a menu for a party, creating dishes that are simple yet presentable is just as important as designing a coherent menu. When you are already busy dancing your solo through the dinner preparations, the last thing you need is yet another side dish that requires more complicated choreography. This is where this beautiful cabbage slaw comes into rescue.

With no more than a few ingredients and requiring just minutes to assemble, this slaw is perfect to toss together just minutes before your guests show up.

Salads always add a delightful touch to a dinner spread, complementing and balancing out other heavyweight dishes, helping to cleanse the palate in between. Without any mayonnaise, buttermilk, or even yogurt, this zingy and crunchy slaw is refreshingly light and tangy sweet, melding beautifully with mains like smokey meats, barbecue, and Mac 'n' Cheese without contributing any heaviness.

I first had this salad at Ribs and Burgers, Brisbane (some of the best ribs I ever had!) made a few tweaks, and now it became my go-to salad for my party gatherings. Check out my previous party featuring this colorful slaw!

This simple yet elegant slaw adds a wild burst of summery colors and festivity to any party!

What you'll need...
3/4 head small green cabbage (approx. 480g)
1/2 head small red cabbage (approx. 200g)
2 Granny Smith apples
A handful of fresh mint (approx. 20g)
A few sprigs of fresh parsley (approx. 10g)
Lemon juice from half a lemon
Lemon zest
1 tablespoon white sugar

Suggested additional toppings:
Raisins
Toasted Pine nuts

Directions...
1. Finely shred cabbages, discarding the core. Set aside. Core apples and chop into matchsticks. Zest lemon and squeeze juice over the chopped apples to prevent oxidization.

2. Finely chop mint and parsley. Toss cabbage, apples and lemon juice, herbs, and sugar together and finish with desired toppings.

Notes: 
＊ Select apples that are firm and crisp.
＊ If making this salad ahead of time, sprinkle lemon juice over the chopped apples and keep chilled separately from the cabbage in the refrigerator. Toss all ingredients together at the last minute.

My recent reunion party features this light and refreshing slaw to balance out heavier dishes like Slow Cooked Pork and Bean Chili and Broccoli, Asparagus, and Spinach Mac 'n' Cheese

《清新薄荷椰菜蘋果莎拉》

材料：

Mint and lemon add a pop of freshness to this slaw

青椰菜  3/4 個（約 480 克）
紫椰菜  1/2 個（約 200 克）
青蘋果  2 個
薄荷葉  約 20 克
義大利香葉  約 10 克
鮮檸檬汁  約半個檸檬
檸檬皮碎  隨意
砂糖  1 湯匙

其他配料：
提子乾
松仁

做法：
1. 椰菜去芯，切成幼絲備用。
2. 蘋果去芯，切成火柴條。
3. 檸檬表皮擦成碎碎，再在蘋果絲上榨檸檬汁，以防止氧化。
4. 薄荷、義大利香葉剁碎。把以上材料拌勻，拌入砂糖再撒上其他配料即成！

備註：
1. 建議選用果肉較爽脆而不粉的蘋果，如青蘋果。
2. 如欲提早準備此莎拉，可先切好所有材料，把沾了檸檬汁的蘋果切條跟其他材料分開冷藏，最後才加入拌勻。

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Thai Stir-fried Morning Glory | 泰式飛天炒通菜 | Phad Pak Bung Fai Daeng

附中文食譜

Phad Pak bung fai daeng - popularly known as "stir-fried morning glory" - one of the most recognizable Thai vegetable favorites that is ubiquitously served from streetside to restaurants across Thailand, is as easily, and quickly, prepared at home. The ingredient list is so short and sweet, the dish can practically be whipped up in a flash, literally.

Stir fry like you mean it over a blazing flame - and the dish is ready in a flash!

The main ingredient of this stirfry is obviously pak bung jiin (jiin: Thai for China/Chinese), commonly known as kangkong, Chinese water spinach, or ong choy (蕹菜) in different cultures. This Chinese variety is not to be confused with its Thai counterpart, which tends to be larger in the stalk. Like many stirfries in Thai cuisine, the Chinese influence on this dish is undeniable, as is most evident in the use of a wok on very high heat (hence fai daeng, blazing "red fire" in Thai) and the seasoning ingredients.

Water spinach is not only easy to wash, it is super uncostly by the bunch

What makes it distinctly Thai, nevertheless, is its generous use of fish sauce, oyster sauce, fermented soybean paste, chili, and a touch of sugar, which gives the dish its signature savory and sweet followed by a pang of fire. I sometimes substitute Thai fish sauce with a secret ingredient - Bagoong Balayan, a turbid, fermented anchovy sauce produced exclusively in the Batangas, Philippines that imparts an even richer, more pungent "fishy" flavor than fish sauce.

This dish is so tasty, so hot, and ready in seconds, it literally flies - hence its moniker "Flying Pak Bung" in Thai, which also explains why this popular dish is often translated as "飛天炒通菜" in Chinese.

What you'll need...
1 large bunch water spinach
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 large cloves of garlic
3 bird eye chilis
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fermented bean sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup water or chicken broth

Directions... 

Smashed whole red chilis are easy to spot and pick out after plating 

1. Wash water spinach and drain. Cut into 3-inch segments, separating stalk and leaf. Give the garlic cloves and whole chilis a good whack. Place stalk in a large bowl and top with smashed garlic and chilis.

2. In a small bowl, mix together oyster sauce, fermented bean sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and water/chicken broth.

3. In a large wok over very high heat, heat oil until beginning to smoke. Dump stalk, garlic and chilis all at once into the wok, followed by the sauce. Briskly stir fry, then quickly add the remaining leafy portion of the water spinach and stir fry to coat well with sauce. Remove from heat at once when the vegetables wilt, turn bright green and tender-crisp, and transfer to serving platter immediately. The whole process takes barely a minute.

If you ever wonder why this dish is named "Flying Morning Glory", give it a try at your own kitchen and it will all make sense

《泰式飛天炒通菜》

材料：

通菜  600 克

生油  1 湯匙

蒜頭  4 瓣

指天椒  3 隻

調味料：

蠔油  1 湯匙*

豆醬  1 湯匙

魚露  1 湯匙*

砂糖  1 茶匙

水或上湯  60 毫升

做法：

1. 通菜洗淨切段，約三寸長，置於大盤內備用（建議嫩葉分開）。

2. 蒜瓣和指天椒略拍扁，放在切好的通菜上面。

3. 調味料拌勻備用。

4. 熱鑊下油，傾入通菜、蒜、指天椒及調味料，用大火快速翻炒再加入嫩葉兜勻。

5. 當通菜顏色變得鮮豔之後馬上熄火，上碟即成。過程僅需一分鐘！ 

*備註：食素者可選擇以生抽取替魚露和李錦記香菇素蠔油代替蠔油。

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Grilled Peaches with Cognac Butter Glaze and Vanilla Ice Cream

If you are anything like me, you look forward to summer peaches all year more than you ever would your birthday.

Every summer I find myself bewildered in New York City's bountiful farmers markets, dazzled by color and intoxicated by the perfume of peaches and nectarines at their peak. These blushing beauties are delicious fresh as they are, but also make heavenly desserts grilled.
Grilling intensifies the natural sugars in peaches, not only bringing out the sweetness and juiciness, but also softening the flesh. If you ever wonder what to do with underripe peaches, the grill comes to the rescue! Never throw out any "bad" peaches again!

A super simple dessert that requires under 10 minutes and only a handful of ingredients - making this a perfect choice for last-minute summer entertaining!

The peaches will soften and get those pretty grill marks

Serve grilled peaches alongside vanilla ice cream, greek yoghurt, mascarpone - whichever your heart fancies - all it takes is just minutes and you have a perfect ending to any meal that looks like a million bucks. The almond biscotti adds a welcome crunch and perfectly complements the liquor - which brings us to the best part - that drizzle of booze that takes this fruit dessert to a whole other level. Substitute the biscotti with a shortbread cookie or some chopped almonds if unavailable!

Hail to the peach season this year!

To prepare...
3-4 large, ripe peaches
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
1 tablespoon Cognac, brandy, or rum, plus some for drizzling
Vanilla ice cream
Almond biscotti

1. Heat the grill. I lined my Panini Grille with foil for easy clean up. Lightly grease the foil with oil.

2. Half each peach and remove the pit by loosening one end with the tip of a knife. In a small skillet, melt butter together with brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Mix in ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and liquor.

3. Grill peaches skin side down (lightly brush peach with olive oil before grilling if placing directly on grill without foil), basting occasionally with the Cognac butter glaze, 3-4 minutes. Repeat with the cut side down for them sexy grill marks. Serve at once with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and an almond biscotti. Spoon any remaining glaze over the grilled peaches and finish off with a drizzle of Cognac all over.

For a less naughty version of this scrumptious dessert, try greek yoghurt - the taste of grilled peaches will pop out even more!

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