Hoisin at Home - This Sauce Can Do it All

Of all the condiments that have never crossed your mind to make at home, hoisin sauce is probably at the top of the list.  After all, barring some sort of catastrophic event, you'll be able to get hoisin at the store, but is that a chance you really want to take in this crazy world?  Even if you only cook a meager amount of Chinese food, hoisin's applications are many, and this homemade version will stay in the fridge for a long time. 

Still, you might be wondering what kind of person makes this at home.  Oh, I don't know, maybe someone with a sense of curiosity and culinary wonder.  Maybe you're gluten free, don't eat refined sugars, or the idea of modified corn starch irks you.  Or maybe, just maybe, you're planning on making char siu (Chinese BBQ'd pork) and you need some hoisin for the marinade (hint, hint). 

Super Simple Miso Soup

Red Miso Soup - Ready in Minutes

Sometimes the simple things in life are the best.  This is no secret to the Japanese, whose food is more often than not stupid simple, with an incredible depth of flavor.

These deep flavors mostly come from the use of umami, or savory flavors*.  Things like miso, soy sauce, mushrooms, and dashi-- staples in the Japanese pantry-- are all high in amino acids such as L-glutamate and 5'-ribonucleotides, which constitute the umami sensation.  Other foods high in umami include ripe tomatoes, beef, chicken, and fermented products such as fish sauce and certain cheeses.

Today, I'll be showing you how simple it is to create great flavor in only a matter of minutes with a favorite of mine: red miso soup.

Chinese Five-Spice in Under 5 Minutes

Making your own Chinese five-spice powder is not only simple, it's super fast.   Whether you're looking to make char siu or just liven up some vegetables, you can have this aromatic blend of Asian spices ready to go in mere minutes. 

Healthier Patatas Bravas

The popularity of patatas bravas has been both a blessing and a curse.

Blessing: As Spain's most iconic tapa, you find versions of this dish in practically every establishment that serves food throughout the country.

Curse:  A lot of places do not do them well.  Most bars don't cook the potatoes twice, or use frozen pre-cut pieces.  However, more often than not, the real culprit behind an abhorrent experience with this famous little plate is bravas sauce from a jar.

Solution:  Make this cheap, simple, and easy dish at home.

Mayo from Scratch - Oh, the Possibilities

Let me start this post by saying I hate mayonnaise-- or at least I thought I did.  Then I tried the real homemade stuff and my life was changed... because I gained 50 pounds.  Of course that was a joke, but while I previously never had the desire to take a spoon of the plain stuff straight to the dome, I reconsider when I mix my homemade mayo with some garlic and chipotle, or better yet: with homemade Sriracha.  When you make mayonnaise at home, the possibilities are practically infinite and endlessly delicious.

Cock Sauce (AKA Homemade Sriracha)

You might have heard of the Sriracha shortage--heck, you might have even been affected by it-- but that's no reason for you to miss out on what very well may be America's favorite hot sauce.

Panko Crusted Flounder with Dashi Air

Not only is dashi one of the most delicious things on earth,  it's necessary for many Japanese meals and cooking techniques.  Sure, you've heard of soy sauce, sake, and sushi-- but dashi, a kind of stock, is the real star of Japanese cuisine.  You like miso soup?  Well, that has a dashi base.  What about ramen (not the crap that comes in a bag)?  Dashi base.  Even the sweet egg sushi simply called tamago (egg in Japanese) has dashi mixed into it.

Duck Fat Tortillas Revisited

Duck Fat Tortillas w/ Skirt Steak

When I started this blog, the first video I made was for flour tortillas made with duck fat.

Well, like many first attempts, mine could've used some polishing.  For this reason, I've decided to do an update on my tortilla recipe.

I made an entirely new video that is much shorter and is completely devoid of background noise I somehow didn't seem to notice the first time.  The new video also has a little bit more info on how to get your desired tortilla dimensions.

Additionally, I converted the recipe to go by weight, so you can make a batch of any size without worrying.  While this isn't exactly a new recipe, I hope you still benefit from the revisiting of my most popular post.  The taste and texture of a homemade tortilla can't be beat!  Enjoy.

A Middle Eastern Staple: Tahini

If you're a fan of Middle Eastern food, then you've probably heard of tahini.  Maybe you've even gone out and bought a can of the stuff with Jasmine's dad from Aladdin on the front.  Because halva, baba ghanoush, and hummus all rely on this paste made from sesame seeds, maybe you thought you couldn't make your favorite Middle Eastern dishes without shelling out 9 or 10 bucks for the Sultan's brand, but the truth is, tahini is something that takes very little effort and ability to concoct at home. 

Honey Harissa Brussels Sprouts

"Oh, no!  Not another harissa recipe," said no one ever.

This time I've combined my homemade harissa  with some honey in order to get some sweet and spicy action on roasted Brussels sprouts.

If you've seen my video and read the post on how to roast Brussels sprouts, this is still worth checking out, as the technique here is a little different.

Here the Brussels sprouts only take about 15 minutes to cook and we're going to get some really nice color on them by browning on the stovetop before they take a trip to the oven.

As always, use this technique to branch out and be creative.  The concept here is to make a sauce with a little sweetness, spiciness, and some acidity to make our mini cabbages really pop.  Try sambal, a little fish sauce, brown sugar, and lime for some Southeast Asian flavors.  Want something Mexican?  Honey, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime, anyone?

Spicy Harissa at Home

Originally hailing from North Africa, harissa is a fiery hot sauce as ever-present in the Maghreb as ketchup is on American tables.  That being said, any further comparisons to ketchup (other than noting that they're both condiments) are almost outright offensive.  

Varying not just from country to country, but one ethnic group to another, a sojourner in the region would encounter many different styles of the famed hot sauce.  However, mainstays at the harissa party include hot red chiles, coriander, and olive oil.  Easy enough, right?  So, why don't you give it a try?

A Classic Dessert Sauce Made Easy - Crème Anglaise

Persimmon Bourbon Pudding on a bed of Crème Anglaise

You may have heard of the five mother sauces of classical cooking (béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, tomate), but the truth is there's a sixth missing from that list: anglaise.  While most sauces in savory cooking are based off of the five aforementioned classics, pastry's workhorse is the crème anglaise, or vanilla sauce, as it's sometimes called.  Meaning English cream in the French language, this custard transforms into some of your favorite desserts with very little manipulation.  Ice cream, crème brûlée, and pastry cream are just vanilla sauce with a couple extra steps.

With all this talk about what anglaise can be, I might not be getting across to you that this custard sauce is perfect as is for-- well, you guessed it-- a complimentary sauce to a dessert.  The recipe I show for the anglaise is simple, delicious, and doesn't require any extraneous or complicated steps you often see in other recipes.  Much like the other mother sauces, crème anglaise is a blank canvas to flavor and transform into the application most pleasing to you.

Two Techniques in One: Homemade Croutons and Breadcrumbs

There are three major benefits of making your own croutons and breadcrumbs at home:

1. You now have a use for stale or leftover bread.

2. Your croutons and breadcrumbs will be crunchier, healthier, and more flavorful than the store-bought variety.

3. Endless flavor combinations will keep you and your diners interested and satisfied.

Tzatziki Sauce - Save Your Quarters and Make it at Home

No matter how you say it, tzatziki's still your favorite condiment at Greek restaurants, and the proprietors know this.  Around where I live, they never give you enough and charge around 50 cents for a small side of the stuff.  I'm not saying I expect them to give it away for free, but what I am saying is that you can save your change for other important things like gumballs and toll roads by making your own.

A Better Egg (for Wraps and Sandwiches)

How many times have you sunk your teeth into a breakfast burrito and taken out half the bacon on the first bite?  Worse yet, how many times have you finished all of the bacon before the wrap is done?  Whether it be a fried egg and bacon on a burger or bagel, if you incorporate bacon directly into the whites, you're guaranteed to have crispy porky goodness in every bite.

Mango Salsa: You Couldn't Eff This Up If You Tried

By far the most simple thing I've posted, this mango salsa recipe is barely even a recipe.  There's no cooking, and there's no real need to measure anything.  In essence, there's no way you could mess this up.  Just make sure your ingredients are fresh and the flavors will be there. 

Duck Fat Flour Tortillas

Never experienced a homemade tortilla?  Well, brace yourself for these flour tortillas made with decadent duck fat.