Open Mouth Laughs
Amy Berkowitz / Thursday, Feb. 7 @ 1:52 p.m. / Food
Open Mouth Laughs are a Chinese Sweet dough deep fried (we all love deep fried dough) with sesame seeds. Sweets are an important part of the Chinese New Year celebration (and are for other things as well).
Tangerine Beef
Amy Berkowitz / Thursday, Feb. 7 @ 1:39 p.m. / Food
The word for tangerine sounds like the word for lucky or auspicious, so they are popular during Chinese New Year feasts.
Here is a recipe for Tangerine Beef from Sichuan:
Chicken Lettuce Cups
Amy Berkowitz / Thursday, Feb. 7 @ 1:20 p.m. / Food
Chicken Lettuce Cups (traditionally made with Pigeon) are popular in southern China for New Year because the word for lettuce sounds like making money or getting a raise.
Ingredients:
Boiled Pork Dumplings
Amy Berkowitz / Thursday, Feb. 7 @ 12:58 p.m. / Food
This is a traditional dish for the Chinese New Year feast. It's name, Jiaozi, harkens to the meaning of the first syllable meaning both family and home. These are one of the "lucky" foods found at a New Year feast.
Ingredients:
Chocolate Truffles
Amy Berkowitz / Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 @ 2:59 p.m. / Food
Nothing could be more decadent or indulgent than Chocolate Truffles, originally named because they resemble the underground gourmet fungus of the same name. This recipe is how to make them as they originally appeared before chocolatiers began encasing them in tempered chocolate and making them smooth and silky so they no longer resembled their namesakes.
The quality of your ingredients will make all the difference here. This is the time to splurge on the Callebaut (or other superlative) Chocolate if ever!
Chocolate Truffles
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
1 Cup Whipping Cream
4 Table Spoons unsalted butter (room temp)
pinch of salt
vanilla extract
Unsweetened cocoa powder
In a double boiler melt chocolate into the whipping cream with the pinch of salt, stirring until smooth and shiny. Remove from heat. While beating the mixture, let it cool. When it reaches room temperature, gradually add the butter one bit at a time, fully incorporating each addition. Add a small splash of vanilla extract and continue to beat until cool and thick. You can beat this over an ice water bath to speed the process, but take care not to splash water into the chocolate or it might seize up. Cool ganache (finished mixture) in the fridge. When nice and cold, using cold hands roll mixture into irregularly shaped balls about 1" in diameter. Roll each ball in the cocoa powder & set into a candy up or on a plate. Try not to eat too many yourself.
Note: The basic mixture forms a chocolate ganache. This is the basis for many excellent French desserts. While still warm and runny, this is a terrific glaze for cakes.
