Sickles Market - Gourmet Club

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April 28, 2008 – May 11, 2008

Product of the Week – The following Asian food products will be 15% off to Good Stuff members:

Hoisin Sauce from Asian Gourmet
Mirin Sweetened Sake from Sushi Chef
Ponzu Citrus Seasoned Soy Sauce and Dressing from Kikkoman
Premium Fish Sauce from Thai Kitchen
Sesame Oil from Asian Gourmet
Soy Sauce from Asian Gourmet
Wasabi Powder from Sushi Chef

Since moving to Philadelphia, I have been experimenting with different types of food, both at home and in restaurants, some of it based on food magazine articles and other times just based on what I have on hand in my pantry and refrigerator and how much free time I have to cook (not much while I was in school!). I started to realize that Asian flavors are really prominent in today’s food world, not just in Chinese, Japanese, Thai, or Indonesian restaurants but in lots of restaurants and recipes. The term being used is “Asian Fusion” and refers to the flexibility that Asian flavors and seasonings have to meld, or fuse, with other cuisines and foods that are not necessarily native to the Asian region the seasoning is from. I decided that it would be fun to spend two newsletters on the subject – the first writing about some of the sauces, the second writing about some of the vegetables to use with the sauces.

As I started researching the subject I realized that the fusion of Asian flavors with foods from other regions of the world has been occurring for centuries. Until recently, though, it was food from other parts of the world coming to Asia, or different countries in the region exchanging ingredients, sauces, and cooking techniques. In the sixteenth century, Portuguese traders arrived in Indonesia and Malaysia. The Dutch arrived a century later and the English came later still and also had significant contact with Myanmar and Singapore. The Spanish moved into the Philippines where they ruled for 350 years and the French had a huge impact on Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. For many centuries the Chinese, Arabs, and Indians crossed these many of these countries following the trade routes in the region. All these people had an impact on local cuisines. Europeans introduced many new vegetables to the region, including the chile, which made it easier for Malaysians, Thais, and Burmese to add heat to their foods. Prior to the introduction of the chile, they had only the peppercorn for heat. The Chinese introduced soy sauce, fermented bean sauce, bean curd, wheat, rice noodles, and the wok to Southeast Asia as well as chopsticks. Early Arab traders introduced the idea of skewered grilled meat (kabobs) to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand (where it is known as satay). Each of the countries adopted it and altered it to make it unique to their own cuisine. Within China, there are four main regions as well a several ethnic groups, all of which have contributed to what we know as Chinese cuisine.

Today, the fusion is occurring in reverse. For many years, we welcomed the cuisine of each country and went out for Chinese or Japanese or Thai. Now though, we reach for some of the ingredients and seasonings of a particular country or the region and create new combinations of flavors that are new and what we call Asian Fusion.

The recipes I have included in this newsletter feature a few Asian sauces combined with easily available vegetables, seafood, and meat for new taste sensations that are neither typically Asian nor typically Western but rather a fusion of the two.

RECIPES –

• Asian Cucumber Ribbon Salad

• Chinese Cabbage Salad with Scallions and Roasted Peanuts

• Chilled Sesame Spinach

• Grilled Ponzu Marinated Scallop Lollipops

• Cold Cellophane Noodles with Chicken

• Mussels with Lime Juice and Mirin

• Asian Chicken Salad with Snap Peas and Bok Choy

• Asian Meatballs with Sesame Lime Dipping Sauce

• Salmon with Wasabi Sauce and Baby Bok Choy

(While the Recipe Archives at www.sicklesmarket.com are under construction, ask at the office for copies of any that you would like to try).

CHILI OIL –
Chili oil is vegetable oil in which hot red chili peppers have been steeped until their flavor has been released and the oil has taken on a red color. This oil is bursting with spicy heat and is used to add heat to any number of dishes. It is particularly popular in Chinese cooking. It will keep for six months at room temperature before losing its heat but will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.
Make a simple dip by combining soy sauce and chili oil (to taste). You can add heat to any sauce by just adding a little bit of chili oil. You can also toss noodles and either slivered cooked chicken and/or steamed vegetables with chili oil for a quick, tasty dish.

FISH SAUCE –
Fish sauce (nahm plah in Thailand, nuc nam in Vietnam, patis in the Philippines, and shottsuru in Japan) is the clear brown liquid (the color of tea or whiskey) that is extracted from salted, fermented anchovies that have been packed in barrels. Thai Kitchen’s fish sauce is made from the first pressing of the anchovies. It is extremely pungent, strong flavored, and salty and a little bit goes a long way. It can be used as a condiment instead of soy sauce, and can be spiced up with chili oil or served as a dipping sauce with minced hot chilies floating in it. It is also added to many dishes as flavoring or an ingredient in a sauce. Combine it with some sesame oil to make a dressing for greens or shredded cabbage (see the recipe for Cabbage Salad with Scallions and Roasted Peanuts) or with mirin to make a sauce for mussels (see the recipe for Mussels with Lime Juice and Mirin). The Thai Kitchen Fish Sauce label has a recipe for dipping sauce for meat, seafood, or vegetables that is really nice. In addition to dipping, try tossing the sauce with noodles or drizzling over rice. Combine 1 minced Serrano chili, 1 clove of minced garlic, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2/3 cup water, 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice, and 5 tablespoons fish sauce. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and enjoy. You can also add some shredded carrot it you like. If you leave out the garlic, water, and Serrano chili it makes a delicious dressing for green beans.

HOISIN SAUCE –
Hoisin sauce originated in China and is used extensively in Chinese cooking but is also used in some of the cuisines of Southeast Asia. It is a thick reddish-brown sauce that is both spicy and sweet. It is made from fermented soybeans, vinegar, garlic, chile, and various other spices. It is used both as a table condiment and as an ingredient in lots of meat, poultry, and shellfish dishes. Bottled hoisin sauce will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator. Try mixing two or three tablespoons of hoisin sauce with a couple of tablespoons of orange juice and a little minced garlic to make a quick, delicious marinade for salmon or chicken. Another delicious, easy sauce for noodles can be made by combining about 7 tablespoons of hoisin sauce, 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice, some grated lime peel, and about a tablespoon of minced ginger.

MIRIN –
Mirin is a low alcohol sweet wine made from fermented glutinous rice. It is used extensively in Japanese and Chinese cooking to add sweetness and flavor to dishes, sauces (both cooking and dipping), and glazes. Mirin can be used on its own as a richly flavored cooking sauce but most often it is added to other ingredients (often soy sauce) to make a more complex sauce or glaze. It is an important ingredient in teriyaki sauce. Combine 2 tablespoons each of soy sauce and mirin with 1 tablespoon sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce has thickened. Use the sauce to baste chicken, beef or fish while it is broiling.


PONZU –
Ponzu is a Japanese sauce made of soy sauce, lemon juice, kombu (seaweed), bonito flakes. Some versions also include rice vinegar or mirin. By itself it can be used as a dipping sauce or to drizzle over broiled meats, poultry, seafood, or vegetables. You can mix it with a little oil and either some minced ginger or scallions, or lemongrass for a dressing for either salad greens or steamed or sautéed greens. The same combination also makes a delicious tangy marinade for chicken or seafood. Try using a bit of chili oil if you want to add some heat. It can also be used as a sauce for pasta.

SESAME OIL –
Sesame oil is expressed from sesame seeds. It has a rich nutty flavor and fragrance that is very versatile. It can be used in salad dressings or added to sauces for its unique flavor. Try mixing a bit with soy sauce and then using it as a marinade, wok sauce, or as a dressing for noodles or rice. It can also be mixed with mirin or fish sauce It is also great to slow cook with it. Sesame oil is often mixed with vegetable oil and used in stir-fries and for deep-frying, since it has a high smoke point (420ºF). I like to combine a couple of tablespoons of minced shallots, a little rice vinegar, a couple of teaspoons of minced ginger, and just a tiny bit of sesame oil (about ¼ teaspoon) to make a dressing for orange sections, avocado slices and baby spinach. You can also toss vegetables with sesame oil and then grill them for a great nutty flavor.

SOY SAUCE –
Soy sauce is made from fermented roasted soybean meal and ground wheat. The Chinese invented soy sauce thousands of years ago and introduced it to Southeast Asia. It has a rich, robust, salty flavor. “Lite” versions exist that contain less salt, but also have a bit less flavor. There is also a dark soy sauce that contains a little bit of molasses and is somewhat thicker than regular soy sauce and has a more robust flavor. Soy sauce can be used as a condiment or dipping sauce, in marinades, in stir-fries, and as an ingredient in other sauces. Soy sauce plays a role in most of the recipes I have included in this newsletter. I also use it to make my teriyaki marinade for London broil ( where I combine ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup dry sherry, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, and ½ cup vegetable oil). This marinade also works with chicken. You can also make the following sauce for freshly steamed vegetables, as a glaze for fish, chicken, or pork. Mix 2 teaspoons corn starch with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and set it aside. Then combine about ½ cup soy sauce, 6 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons dry sherry and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Then add the corn starch mixture and stir gently and cook the sauce for another minute. If you mix this sauce with a little bit of orange juice, orange zest, and a squirt of lemon it makes a delicious salad dressing.

WASABI POWDER –
Wasabi comes from the root of an Asian plant and is very similar to horseradish, but stronger and more pungent. It has a sharp, pungent fiery flavor and is green in color. It is available in both paste and powder form. Wasabi adds heat and spice to dishes and sauces. Mix equal parts of wasabi powder and water to make a paste. Let the paste sit, covered, for about ten minutes to allow its full flavor to develop. You can use it sparingly just a dab) as a topping for meats, seafood, or sushi. You can also add just a tiny bit to other ingredients such as sesame oil and soy sauce for a sauce for noodles, meat or vegetables.

With all these sauces, the thing to remember is to experiment to see what you like. Centuries ago, Asians adopted what they liked from the Europeans, and today we have adopted what we enjoy from Asian cooking to combine with foods we are comfortable with. The results are often new taste sensations that can be uniquely our own. Have fun experimenting.

Happy eating,

Sallie Smith

REFERENCES –

Herbst, Sharon Tyler, ed. Food Lover’s Companion. New York, Barron’s, 2001.

Jue, Joyce. Savoring Southeast Asia. Menlo Park, CA, Oxmoor House. n.d.

McDermott, Nancie. Quick and Easy Thai. San Francisco, Chronicle Books,
2004.

Oseland, James. Cradle of Flavor. New York, W.W. Norton and Co. 2006.

Passmore, Jacki. Savoring China. Menlo Park, CA. Oxmoor House. n.d.

Wong, Richard. Modern Asian Flavors. San Francisco, Chronicle Books, 2005.