Archive for September, 2008
For me, a dinner is not complete unless it is accompanied by a glass (or two ;) ) of wine.
The fermented juice of the humble grape has been enjoyed for centuries. Wine residue has been found in excavated ceramic jugs dating back to 6000BC!
Wines are very, very complex. They have a host of flavours and nuances, far too many to list here, to write about wines is a completely new journey, but let´s just say, I like my wine. :) .
And in “Good ole Laocook fashion”, I decided to make my own. ;) .
Ever since I started brewing my own Beer (see the last part of this post) I knew that the next step would be wines.
Wines mature, they grow old gracefully. Making wine is something that cannot be rushed. Only Mother Nature (and really good sanitation) will have the final say, and she definitely won´t be rushed.
For “Quality Testing” and “Progress Tracking” purposes I decided to open up a few bottles. ;) .
This is Boop. My Spanish style red wine, one of many different styles of wines that I am working on.
Vin Vienne (pronounced “Vang Vieng”, geddit!) on the label is a play on words. There are only 26 bottles, featuring four different labels, each featuring a different dress.
On a warm summer evening off, its time to enjoy a BBQ in the garden.
We invited a special friend along for dinner. :)
Along with the Sucking Pig, other dishes were prepared for the grills.
A BBQ wouldn’t be the same without “Ping Gai”, the lovable Laotian Grilled Chicken.
Most of the herbs that we used in the marinade are now grown at the Asia House. There is almost a Lemongrass Farm in the yard!
Even the Cucumbers in the first photo were grown in the garden, we used them for a very spicy “Tum”. ;)
Whilst the Sticky Rice is Steaming and the rhythm of the Pestle and Mortar are signalling that a spicy and sour dip is being made, some of us take it easy…
We call them “Matchstick Mushrooms”, but they also go by the name of Golden Enoki.
When most of us think about Enoki, we picture the White variety with long stems. Golden Enoki are much shorter and grow in cylindrical clusters. These have a more nutty flavour than their cousins, and can also be used in Soups and Salads or simply sauteed with some Smoked Butter.
Enoki are available all year round packaged in water or found fresh in Asian Supermarkets. We prefer the latter.
We use them sandwiched between some grilled King Prawns served on a slice of Seabass with Tamarind Sauce.
They can also be found in our Vegetarian Sushi.
Here they are mixed with the White variety and served Gunkan Maki style (Battleship Sushi).
It is a misconception that Sushi always contains raw fish. “Sushi” or “Zushi” actually refers to Japanese dressed rice, served or wrapped with various ingredients, not only fish or seafood. :)
Another Japanese delicacy that has been making the rounds in the kitchen are Miso Baked Aubergines.
We like to use Baby Aubergines (they are less bitter). These are cooked under foil in a high temperature oven until soft, then briefly grilled before serving. Their little size makes them perfect for Amuse Bouches.
Other snacks that we are working on include Homemade King Crab Crackers with Saffron and Basil.
The name sounds kind of long for what is basically our upmarket version of Prawn Crackers (Shrimp Chips).
As the title suggests, we use meat from the King Crab, and the wonderful colour is obtained by using Saffron Water.
These will need a few days drying. When cooked they will fluff up to 4 times their original size. Yummy. :)
I adore the aroma of freshly torn Basil (yep, you should tear it with your hands instead of chopping it) ;)
As well as using it in our dishes, we also use it to garnish finished plates. Right now I am fond of Dark Basil, which has a purple-like colour which changes to green as it grows.
It has a more subdued flavour to the normal variety, but has its own unique aroma. I use it especially in our Green Curry, where the dark mauve stands out.
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Talking about garnishes, we love to slow roast our Cherry Tomatoes.
We use Yellow and Red Cherry varieties, keeping the stems attached.
Their flavour intensifies with the slow cooking as they loose moisture, making the flavour more concentrated. You´d be surprised at the punch and sweetness of these small Tomatoes once semi dried.
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This summer Junior has been doing some outside cooking.
We have transportable Induction Wok and Grill elements that are great for outside events.
Simply grilled Brochetes are great for a summer afternoon.
Three is a crowd?
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Laurene and Rose enjoy an early evening with King and I as we take a well earned day off and head to a friends restaurant for a bit of Gastronomic Pampering.
Even on our days off, our life revolves around Food, Wines and Cuisine.
This is what leading a Chef´s life is all about.
Eat, Drink and be Happy.
:)
