Chinese Pickled Radish 中式醃蘿蔔

When talking about pickled radish, oftentimes the Japanese version will pop up in my head right away. Like the ones you get at a fine sushi place, the nearly pearl-colored lightly sourish taste radish. 

However, we are going to make the "Chinese" version this time. Still got that sourish element, but in a stronger and more dominant way. To counter that black vinegar aroma, soy sauce, chili, and Sichuan peppercorns were also used. So think of it as a more powerful kind of pickled radish.

Chinese pickled radish 中式醃蘿蔔 - 

Ingredients?

• 630 grams radish (I used two medium sized radish)
• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• Some salt
• 2 slices ginger (about 1mm thickness)
• 1 red chili
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
• 100ml soy sauce
• 60ml black vinegar

How?

Trim-off the very tips of radish, but no need to peel. Rub the radish with some salt, rinse-off and scrub till cleaned. Dry well, better further use a paper towel to wipe-off any water remained.

Cut the radish to about 1mm thickness slices, no more than 2mm. Add the radish slices to a big mixing container. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, massage in the sugar and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes. I actually let it sit for about 25 minutes.

After that, really use your force to squeeze dry the radish slices then transfer to the container you'll be using for the final storing process. Make sure the container is safe for some heated oil. By the way, after marinating with sugar, the radish slices will turn a bit softer so it shouldn't get torn easily when squeezing. But still be careful not to break all the perfectly round pieces though.

Scrape then slice the ginger, we'll need two 1mm thickness slices here. Peel and slice the garlic cloves. Destem and slice the red chili to rings. Use not as spicy red chilies if you just want a kick instead of overly fiery note for the pickles.

Pour in 1/2 cup of olive to a medium pot. Switch to medium or medium low heat and wait till the oil gets warm, but not sizzling hot. Add in 1 tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorns. Swirl the pot a little, maybe lower the heat a bit too to prevent burning.

Add in 100ml soy sauce, 60ml black vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Swirl or mix till all the sugar has been melted.

Remove the pot from the heat and pour all over the radish slices. Scatter prepped ginger, garlic, and red chilies throughout. Give it a few mixes then cover with lid. Into the fridge and marinate for at least one hour.

The pictures I have here for the final pickled radish is the result of sitting in the fridge for one hour. Even with such short time, the flavors were mostly soaked in already, super delicious I would say. 

The pickled radish can sit in the fridge for like 10 days. It will further absorb the seasonings a little more, but surprisingly it won't turn overly salty for some reason. In fact, I especially like the ones with deeper soy sauce coloring. The Chinese version of pickled radish tastes so good, I can even munch on the pickles without any other dishes to eat along with.

Note that a layer of olive oil will gradually coagulate on top after storing in the fridge for some time, which is completely normal. Just remember to start eating the radish on the bottom, since they have already soaked up all the flavors.

You can also find a deeper container and store these pickled radish. That way when the oil thickens on top, it can actually act like a barrier, nicely keeping all the radish slices below fully soaked in the seasonings. 

Japanese version of pickled radish:

• Japanese pickled daikon 大根漬け

Eggplant Cold Dish in Flavorful Chinese Seasonings 中式涼拌茄子

When you Google eggplant cold dish or any sort of eggplant salad, usually you'll find a lighter version of Japanese recipe. No doubt, the Japanese version of eggplant cold dish recipes are quite popular online. But this time around we are talking about the Asian aromatics-filled eggplant recipe instead, with spicy chilies and kicking garlics.

Eggplant cold dish in flavorful Chinese seasonings 中式涼拌茄子 - 

Ingredients?

• 2 long or 1 big round eggplant
• 1 small bundle cilantro
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 to 4 red chilies
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tablespoons black vinegar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon black sesame oil

How?

There is no need to peel the eggplant, simply steam till softened but not soggy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Once done, remove from heat and wait till cool enough to handle by hand. Squeeze out the liquid first. You'll be surprised how much water these eggplants will hold. After that, tear the eggplant into strips and set aside for later use.

Prepare a big serving bowl that can withhold the heat from sizzling oil. To there, add in destemed and chopped red chilies, 4 peeled and chopped garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of red chili powder, and 1 tablespoon of toasted white sesame seeds.

Have a small pot ready and pour in 1/2 cup of olive oil. Bring up the heat and make sure the oil gets hot, pour that right on top of the aromatics prepped earlier in the bowl.

I actually put the bowl inside the sink before pouring in the hot oil. If the oil splashes out, at least it'll hit the sink wall and that means easy cleaning job for me afterwards.

So once the hot oil touches these aromatics, it should start sizzling, which will help releasing the aroma and flavors. Let's add some seasonings too, 2 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 1/2 tablespoons of black vinegar, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of black sesame oil.

Give it a good mix then transfer the eggplant strips over. Mix till evenly blended too.

Lastly, chop some cilantro and mix together with the eggplant. Adding the cilantro last will help preserving its refreshing aroma, also a bit vibrant green color pop.

With all the ingredients listed here will give you a very flavorful result. However, there is one extra ingredient that you can add to the bunch, to further enhance the somewhat already heavy seasonings. That is, the century egg.

Basically it's Chinese preserved duck egg, the black colored kind. So if you don't mind such distinct ingredient, simply peel-off one preserved egg and smash into the whole eggplant bunch. It'll help binding all the seasonings, giving you a smoother touch yet with added depth of savory note. 

Other eggplant recipes:

• Seared eggplant with dried shrimp and garlic 醬燒蝦米茄子排
• Cubed eggplant and ground pork stir-fry with spicy fermented bean paste 炒辣豆瓣醬茄子豬肉丁

Sweet Red Bean and Taro Soup 紅豆芋頭甜湯

Every time I go to this local shabu shabu place, towards the end of the meal they'll always bring up sweet red bean soup for dessert. Mostly cold, but sometimes they'll serve the hot version instead during winter months.

That's the kind of sweet ending I would enjoyed. So I was like why not making it at home too? I don't have to wait to snack on this Taiwanese sweet red bean plus taro soup only when having a shabu meal. Plus it's not hard to make at all.

Sweet red bean and taro soup 紅豆芋頭甜湯 - 

Ingredients?

• 190 grams to 200 grams red beans
• 100 grams taro
• 8 to 10 cups water
• 1/2 cup crystal sugar
• Small pinch salt

How?

Rinse then soak the red beans the night before. I actually stored that in the fridge instead.

When ready to cook, drain out the water. Start a pot of fresh water instead then add in the soaked red beans. Use 8 to 10 cups of water for this recipe. If you prefer more "soup" like me, I actually used 9 cups of water here.

Switch to medium high heat and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to keep it at a light bubbling stage. Continue to cook till the red beans almost reach 2/3 of your preferred texture, like 70% done. If start counting the time from the beginning, mine took about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and cube the taro, about the same or slightly larger than the red beans. After red beans are almost finished cooking, add in the taro cubes.

Continue to cook till the taro can be smashed down easily with the force of your tongue, that's about 40 more minutes for mine.

Only flavor with crystal sugar or any other types of sugar towards the end. I used 1/2 cup of crystal sugar, plus a small pinch of salt.

The sweet soup is ready when the sugar has been fully melted within. You can serve it hot or chill in the fridge till cold.

Because the red beans will continue to absorb a little bit of soup overtime, so if you know the whole pot of sweet red bean soup won't be finished at once, I would suggest to go with the "soupy" route.

Also if it's hard to buy just 100 grams of taro, don't worry and just get more taro instead. You can always peel and chunk the unused taro, store them in a Ziploc bag or a container then keep in the freezer. Frozen taro can last for quite some time.

However, do remember when ready to use the frozen taro again, do not defrost. The texture can turn a little "fluffy" once defrosted. 

Potato and Dried Seaweed Flakes Pancake 馬鈴薯海苔煎餅

One big whole serving of savory pancake has been a thing for me lately. Since I haven't make such food for years, I can't believe I forgot how easy and hassle free it is. Literally, I mean literally you just mix all the ingredients together, pour them to the pan and just sear till slightly browned on both sides. 

And it's hard to go wrong with all sorts of savory pancake. Well, only if you messed up the consistency of the batter, but even that it's usually kind of hard to go wrong. Give it a try once and you'll know what I mean.

Potato and dried seaweed flakes pancake 馬鈴薯海苔煎餅 - 

Ingredients?

• 2 medium potatoes
• 4 tablespoons dried seaweed flakes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds
• 4 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

How?

Peel and grate the potatoes into strips, I actually hand-cut it myself, quite some work there. Add the potato strips to a container filled with water, preferably drinking water. Let it soak for 10 minutes.

After some time, you'll start to see some starch being released to the water. Pour that out. Dry and maybe use a paper towel to future remove any moisture from the potato strips. Transfer to another clean and dry container.

From there, also add in 4 tablespoons of dried seaweed flakes, 1 1/2 tablespoons of toasted white sesame seeds, 4 tablespoons of corn starch, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix till evenly blended.

Bring out a round and flat pan, drizzle about 2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and switch to medium heat. Wait till warm then pour in the potato batter. Even the batter out to create consistent thickness throughout. 

Sear till the bottom turns slightly browned then flip and sear the other side till the same.

Once ready, invert the pancake to a serving plate. You can pre-slice them to triangular pieces if preferred. I simply like to tear and eat along the way.

The seasoning listed should be enough, especially if you're going to enjoy the potato pancake with some ketchup on the side. So keep that in mind if some sort of dipping sauce will be involved. That means don't over-season the batter in the beginning.

Bitter Gourd Cooked With Chinese Pickled Cucumber 壺底油瓜煮苦瓜

Westerners might not know about this dish, but it's one of the common food that will show up on Taiwanese's dining table. The basic idea is to cook the bitter gourd with some sort of Chinese canned pickled melon. However, I used pickled cucumber instead, which comes with denser taste plus a bit sweeter touch. 

The final flavor is somewhat similar doesn't matter you use pickled melon or pickled cucumber, just look for Chinese canned version, and you'll get the correct taste in the end.

Bitter gourd cooked with Chinese pickled cucumber 壺底油瓜煮苦瓜 - 

Ingredients?

• 1 white bitter gourd
• 4 medium pieces Chinese pickled cucumber 壺底油瓜
• 4 tablespoons juice of Chinese pickled cucumber
• 1 small bundle cilantro
• 3 tablespoons olive oil or other preferred cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon rock sugar
• Some salt (optional)

How?

Cut the bitter gourd in half lengthwise them scrape off the seeds and membrane. Slice the bitter gourd to rectangular chunks. Chop the cilantro and set aside for later use.

Into the pan, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil or other preferred cooking oil. We are using a bit more oil to semi-sear and semi-fried the bitter gourd, so don't go too easy with the amount of oil used.

Switch to medium heat and wait till the oil gets hot. Add in the bitter gourd and sear till slightly golden on some sides.

Add in 4 medium pieces of Chinese pickled cucumber or pickled melon along with 4 tablespoons of that canned juice. Also add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. 

Adjust the heat so the whole thing can keep at a medium bubbling stage. Cook till the sauce has been reduced a little. You can break the pickled cucumber to smaller pieces while cooking down the sauce. 

Add in 1/2 teaspoon of rock sugar. Cook till the sugar has been fully dissolved. Remember to flip the bitter gourd once a while to ensure even cooking. 

Taste and adjust if needed. In the case of not salty enough, add salt instead of soy sauce.

Plate and garnish with chopped cilantro.

I used white bitter gourd here because the vendor told me it's less bitter compared to the green varieties. However, it's up to you on the bitterness level. On top of that though, I think white bitter gourd looks better when cooked in dark sauce. That brownish color literally translate the taste as more flavorful in my head. 

Extended reading:

• Bitter gourd stir-fry with salted black beans

Lychee and Apple Black Tea 荔枝蘋果紅茶

Auntie gave us a bag of lychee, just the kind of take-home gift that I love! So besides enjoying the fresh and plump lychee as it is, we even got more to splurge on fruity black tea.

Lychee and apple black tea - 

Ingredients (about 3 to 4 servings)?

• 10 to 12 lychee
• 1 to 2 apple (1 big one or 2 medium sized apples)
• 4 cups fruity scented black tea
• Some ice cubes 
• Some simple syrup (optional)
• Some honey (optional)

How?

Brew the black tea of your choice. I used wakoucha here, which is a type of Japanese black tea. Store the tea in the fridge till cold. You can prepare the tea a day before.

Peel and remove the seeds from the apple. Slice the apple to medium size chunks and add to a blender or food processor. Also pour in 1/2 cup of brewed tea. Blend till smooth.

Peel off the bumpy lychee skin and remove the seed in the center. Repeat for all the lychees and transfer the sweet flesh to a cup. Beat till the flesh break down to smaller bits, and lots of juice flows out.

Of course you can just use the food processor to do the job, especially if you're aiming for smaller pieces of fresh lychee when enjoying the tea.

Have your serving cup or glass ready, add 2 tablespoons of lychee juice along with 2 tablespoons of the lychee flesh. Also add 2 tablespoons of apple juice with plup. Fill 1/3 or up to half of the cup with ice cubes.

Pour the cold black tea all the way up. Stir and give it a quick taste. If sweeter taste is preferred, consider adding some simple syrup or second best choice honey to the tea.

To make the simple syrup, mix together equal amount of sugar and drinkable water. You need to use low heat to warm up the water so that the sugar will dissolve completely. Try to store the simple syrup in the fridge and wait till cold before use in drinks.

I didn't add any extra syrup or honey for my tea. The natural sweetness from the plump lychees I got was enough. Also when biting into the lychee flesh, you'll get a a sudden pop of sweetness from it, really enjoyable. 

Extended reading:

• Apple and honey black tea (the blender way)

Japanese Pickled Napa Cabbage with Shio Kombu 白菜漬け

Sometimes when you get a Japanese meal set, on top of the main dish, there are usually couple more side dishes plus a bowl of miso soup to go with it. And among many common side dishes, you'll often see a lighter colored pickled napa cabbage.

Usually lighter than the version I made here. However, the basic ingredients are the same, I'm guessing it's either the Japanese tsuyu used or the shio kombu, or even longer marinate time that caused the slightly darker version. Put the color aside though, the taste is equally good.

Japanese pickled napa cabbage with shio kombu 白菜漬け - 

Ingredients?

• 1/4 medium napa cabbage
• 1/2 medium carrot 
• 1 teaspoon salt

Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon double-condensed Japanese tsuyu
• 2 tablespoons shio kombu 塩昆布
• 2 grams dried bonito flakes 鰹節
• 1 dried red chili
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

How?

Destem the napa cabbage and slice each big pieces of leaves in half lengthwise. Then slice to smaller rectangular chunks. Peel and julienne the carrot. Destem and slice the dried red chili to smaller rings.

Add the napa cabbage and carrot to a container. 

Mix in 1 teaspoon of salt. Give it a quick massage then put aside for 10 minutes. You'll start to see some liquid drawing out on the bottom.

After 10 minutes, squeeze out the liquid really hard and transfer the veggies to a big Ziploc bag. In that bag, also add 1 tablespoon of Japanese tsuyu, 2 tablespoons of shio kombu, 2 grams of dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi), dried red chilies, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Use 2 teaspoons of sugar instead if a sweeter taste is preferred.

Mix till evenly blended. Flatten the area and store in the fridge overnight. Remember toss a few times or flip to the other side half way through.

Enjoy the pickled napa cabbage as it is the next day. 

You can move the rest of the pickles to a seal-tight container. Continue to store in the fridge and it'll still be good over the next few days.

The pickles are best when serving along side some heavy or stronger-tasting main dishes, such as fried pork cutlet or curry. That refreshing acidity will help cutting through the fat and sometimes remedy the spicy numbing sensation. 

Extended reading:

• Spicy Korean cucumber salad
• Japanese pickled daikon 大根漬け

Chinese Wood Ear Mushroom Salad / Cold Dressed Wood Ear

It's hard to translate Chinese dishes to English sometimes. So I was Googling the often used English name for this common Chinese cold dish, and "Chinese wood ear mushroom salad" was the one that popped out all the time.

Perhaps to westerners calling such dish salad makes sense? I was actually kind of in shock, because a "salad" to me should be something with more ingredients. At least not the simple looking wood ear dish I have here. Then I searched further, Din Tai Fung uses "cold dressed wood ear mushrooms," which sounds much more reasonable in my head. Unfortunately if I Google it using Din Tai Fung's version, basically nothing came up.

I guess for easy-searching purpose, I'll still have to put the title Chinese wood ear mushroom salad up there for now.

Chinese wood ear mushroom salad / cold dressed wood ear - 

Ingredients?

• 2 handful fresh wood ear
• 1 tablespoon goji berries
• 1 red chili
• Some cilantro
• Some young ginger
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce paste
• 1 tablespoon black vinegar
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

How?

Use small fresh wood ear if you can find it, it's called 雲耳 in Chinese. I used the dried version from China's Heilongjiang province instead. Just soak them in lukewarm water and the wood ear will puff up soon after.

Remember to rinse the wood ear a few times before the actual cooking process.

Fill a small pot with some water and add two slices of young ginger. Bring to a boil then add in wood ear. Bring to a boil again and cook for one minute. Drain and soak the wood ear in icy cold water. 

Once temperature completely drops, drain well and shake-off any remaining water. Also pick-out the ginger slices. Set the wood ear aside or store in the fridge while prepping the sauce.

To make the sauce, mix together 1 tablespoon of soy sauce paste, 1 tablespoon of black vinegar, 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil, a pinch of scraped and julienned young ginger, and 1 tablespoon of goji berries.

Stir the sauce till evenly blended and almost all the sugar has been dissolved. Add in cold wood ear and mix till evenly blended again. Plate and garnish with some cilantro leaves.

The cilantro leaves here not just for decoration, we actually do that pop of aroma to brighten up this wood ear dish.

You can always adjust the seasonings according to your preference. Some like it sour and some prefer a sweeter taste. Some even add lemon juice for a light fruity acidity touch. 

Other recipes using wood ear:

• Vietnamese steamed egg meatloaf
• Pork strips wood ear and cilantro stir-fry

Eye-Caring and Vitamins Booster Juice

I guess that age has finally come. Some friends started to ask me if I have been experiencing symptoms of presbyopia. Perhaps yes, but I'm not quite sure the focusing issue and tiredness are because of that, or I just over-worked my eyes. 

For sure I need to cut back on phone time, stop checking Instagram and Facebook that often. Need to try to get some quality sleeping hours. Also start taking eye-care tablets. What else can I do, perhaps putting up an eye-caring combo while making juice at home?

Eye-caring and vitamins booster juice -

Ingredients (about 2 to 3 servings)?

• 1 1/2 loosely packed cups papaya
• 1 loosely packed cup carrot
• 1 loosely paced cup spinach
• 1 orange
• 1 green kiwi
• 3 cups cold water
• Some honey (optional)
• 2 walnuts (optional)

How?  

Only using the meaty part for the papaya, that means not the skin and not the seeds. Cut into chunks. Peel and slice the carrot to smaller pieces, destem and section the spinach, peel and separate the orange segments, scoop out the kiwi flesh and not using the skin. 

Add all the prepped ingredients to the blender. 

Along pour in 3 cups of cold water. For a sweeter taste, pour in some honey too. I actually added one tablespoon of honey here. Toss in couple walnuts if available.

Blend, pour, and serve. Use more water for a thinner consistency. However, I'd like to see heavy pulps when having homemade juice, feel much healthier that way.

By the way, for the orange, if you can't find seedless version, use other citrus instead. Just try to get the seedless variety to save up some works in the kitchen. 

Extended reading:

• Mixed fruit and vegetable juice using kale, carrot, blueberry, pear, and apple
• Cucumber and pineapple juice with a touch of mint leaves