Two Penny Chinese

It seems that going out to eat at a nice restaurant with friends is a rare occurrence these days. Let me clarify that. Nice, as in full service, not rushed, and finer dining. Not a compressed lunch date at a fast casual place, or a food court, or chain restaurant with my toddlers.

I was curious about Two Penny. My general perception of authentic Chinese restaurants is that the food is good, but the service is very subpar (read rude) if one doesn’t speak the language. Now before you get on your high horse and criticize me for my politically incorrect point of view, let me say this. I am Cantonese by heritage; and I do speak the language reasonably unwell enough to be spoken to in English when I was in Hong Kong. It’s refreshing to have good Chinese food with much better service.

I ordered jasmine tea to go with my meal. The tea service was quite fancy. It was steeped in a wine pitcher, strained into another wine pitcher and finally poured into a tea cup. I loved the hand selected tea as I could really taste the flavour of the jasmine flowers.

I’m not a fan of traditional dim sum. It’s mostly greasy with this its-still-sitting-in-my-bloated-stomach-hours-later-feeling. But I like the idea of dim sum, and the steamed dishes. We started off with a traditional soup dumpling and some char siu bao (steamed BBQ pork buns). I like traditional and I was happy that it was prepared that way. They were both very tasty.

Our next course was beef and broccoli. This is not your ho-hum Chinese takeout dish. The beef is Wagyu brisket. Melt in my mouth good.

The drunken fish was a nice twist on the traditional steamed fish. Less oily, but retaining the freshness of the spring onions with citrus undertones. Very elegant. The rice did a nice job of soaking up the sauce.

A little arm twisting was required to try an additional dim sum dish. The crispy mushroom dumplings had a subtle flavour which were perfect on their own. However, the accompanying truffle mayo was overwhelming. It might have been nice if it  was paired with a stronger dumpling.

I found that all the dim sum options were portioned well for three people. I don’t know if that was intentional, but with three in our party it worked out really well.

Even more arm twisting was required to try the dessert course, a mandarin creamsicle as we were stuffed from the previous courses. It was built on three layers. I only had the one bite so I couldn’t truly appreciate all the tastes. I did however, enjoy the cardamom meringue.

I would love to try more of their dishes.

Jasmine tea
xiao long bao
xiao long bao
Steamed BBQ Buns
Steamed BBQ Buns
Drunken Fish with Beef and Broccoli
Drunken Fish with Beef and Broccoli
Crispy Mushroom Dumplings
Crispy Mushroom Dumplings
Mandarin Creamsicle
Mandarin Creamsicle

Two Penny Chinese Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Chili Cranberry Meatballs for the Instant Pot or Crock Pot

I needed some inspiration for some snacks for my New Year’s Eve party. Meatballs in the slow cooker have always been my go to. What could be better than cranberries with a kick of chili? I raided my cupboards and found some spicy chili jelly and leftover cranberries. Then there was that huge bottle of sweet chili sauce my Mom bought last summer sitting in the fridge door. Condiments never spoil, right? Also, I always keep a pack of frozen meatballs in my freezer. This time I used Compliments lean turkey meatballs.

I used my Google-fu and found a recipe that I could use, although it was for a crock pot. Who needs a crock pot when I have two Instant Pots? One for the meatballs and the other for the hot mulled cider. We’re good to go!

The meatballs were a hit. A wall of spice tempered by the tartness of the cranberries. I used the fresh cranberries with 1/3 cup of sugar. Next time, I will dial down the sugar as I prefer my cranberries a little tart. I should have added the leftover orange juice from making orange zested cranberry sauce earlier in the week. That would have been divine.

Chili cranberry meatballs in the Instant Pot
Chili cranberry meatballs in the Instant Pot

Print Recipe
 Chili Cranberry Meatballs
Course Appetizer, Main Dish
Prep Time 10-15 minutes
Cook Time 5-20 minutes attended
Passive Time 10-360 minutes
Servings
people as an appetizer
Ingredients
Main
Choice of:
Or
Course Appetizer, Main Dish
Prep Time 10-15 minutes
Cook Time 5-20 minutes attended
Passive Time 10-360 minutes
Servings
people as an appetizer
Ingredients
Main
Choice of:
Or
Instructions
Instant Pot
  1. Add 1 cup water to the Instant Pot.
  2. Place a steamer basket in the Instant Pot and add frozen meatballs.
  3. Pressure cook for 5 minutes on high pressure.
  4. * When timer beeps, release the pressure with a quick pressure release.
  5. Remove steamer basket and meatballs from the Instant Pot.
Sauce (Instant Pot)
  1. Discard cooking water and add all the sauce ingredients to the cooking pot.
  2. If using cranberries, select Sauté and cook, stirring frequently, until cranberries have fallen apart and the sauce is heated through.
  3. If using cranberry sauce only, cook until sauce is combined and heated through. Add heated meatballs and stir to combine.
  4. Switch to keep warm setting until ready to serve.
  5. *It will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure in addition to the 5 minutes cook time. Also 10-15 minutes to cook cranberries
Crock Pot
  1. Add all the sauce ingredients to a sauce pan or stove top friendly crock pot liner.
  2. Cook on stove top, stirring frequently, until cranberries have fallen apart and the sauce is heated through.
  3. Add meatballs and stir to coat them well. Put in crock pot on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 2-2 1/2 hours.
Recipe Notes

Adapted from: https://spicysouthernkitchen.com/crock-pot-cranberry-meatballs-2/

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Instant Pot Hot Mulled Apple Cider

I find that hot mulled apple cider is a great alternative to alcoholic beverages at a holiday party. It also adds a delectable aroma to the air. It’s no fuss and definitely irresistible.  I’ve provided two options – traditional stovetop and Instant Pot or slow cooker. I prefer unsweetened apple juice. The spices more than compensate for the additional sugar.

You may ask why would I make this in the Instant Pot if it takes over 30 minutes longer? The answer is, less liquid tends to evaporate using the lockable lid, and I don’t have to watch the stove to see if the heat needs to be adjusted. I can also plug the IP into the room downstairs where I am hosting the party rather than leaving it on the stovetop in the kitchen.

Also note that for the Instant Pot, the slow cooker function is being used, not the pressure cooking function. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, it works well in a standard slow cooker too.

Hot mulled apple cider
Hot mulled apple cider
Cider in Instant Pot
All ready to slow cook. Lid shown for serving
Hot mulled apple cider
Hot mulled apple cider

 

Print Recipe
 Hot Mulled Cider
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 60 to 90 minutes
Passive Time 60 to 90 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 60 to 90 minutes
Passive Time 60 to 90 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Instructions
Stovetop
  1. Slice oranges crosswise into 1/2 inch rounds. Cut slices into quarters with peels and juice.
  2. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over low heat for an hour.
  3. Pour into mugs and serve.
Instructions for Instant Pot
  1. Slice oranges crosswise into 1/2 inch rounds. Cut slices into quarters with peels and juice
  2. Add all ingredients, close and lock lid.
  3. Set valve to venting.
  4. Press "slow cook" and adjust to less.
  5. Set time to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
  6. Retain on keep warm setting while serving. Substituting a 9 inch standard pot lid will make it easier for the guests to serve themselves.
Recipe Notes

Adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/hot-mulled-cider-recipe-1914496

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Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

I’ve only recently started using my Instant Pot to boil eggs. I thought stovetop was less hassle until I discovered that every egg I made in the IP peels perfectly. That is pure gold.

Before reading any further, this only works with the Duo IPs as the Lux models only have a high pressure setting. One reason to get the Duo!

Here is my unscientific experiment. The pros, Amy+Jacky have rigorously tested their method here. Their definition of a medium boiled egg is 9 minutes on low pressure. Mine is 4 minutes on low. Perhaps that is the difference being at altitude makes? I live at about 3,500 ft above sea level.

Hard boiled eggs

Pour one cup of water into the pot. Place eggs on rack that came with the pot, or use a steamer basket. 5 minutes on high then vent. Rinse with cold water so I could handle them and voila! Perfect eggs.

Medium boiled eggs

Pour one cup of water into the pot. Place eggs on rack that came with the pot, or use a steamer basket. 4 minutes on low then vent. Dump into a bowl filled with cold water and wait about a minute. Dump the water and cover with cold water for about 5 minutes. Do a third cycle if the water is still warm.

Tried 1 minute on low. White done but yolk is very runny.

Tried 2 minutes on low. Edge of yolk is medium but middle is still very runny. (nice soft boiled egg)

Tried 3 minutes on low. Edge of yolk is medium  but middle is a little runny.

Tried 4 minutes on low. Edge of yolk is medium and middle is just set. Perfect!

For fun, tried 8 minutes on low. Still hard boiled but on the softer side.

Hard boiled eggs
Hard boiled eggs

Black Sea Salted Caramel Cookies

Ah, the memories. I love nothing better than a classic salted caramel cookie. No wait. Even better is a black sea salted caramel cookie. I have evidence that I baked these as early as 2011. Over the years, I’ve evolved the recipe slightly from the original which no longer seems to exist on the web.


Here are some pro tips.

  • If you really like these, buy the caramels in the 2 kg bags. Safeway has them around Halloween. I apolgize for the photo. Half the bag has mysteriously disappeared.
  • You can also get them in smaller bags at London Drugs. I’ve also seen them at Dollar Tree.
  • I got my black sea salt directly from Maui. It is definitely worth the trip if you can go. If not, Silk Road Spice Merchant carries it in town. You don’t have to use black sea salt. But you should agree, it looks much better.
  • Plan on baking some extra. There will inevitably be some exploding caramels. Who can’t use some extra cookies?
  • These are going to make you a hit with all your friends. Don’t ask me how I know…
  • They freeze really well. Remember to separate the layers with wax paper.
Print Recipe
 Black Sea Salted Caramel Cookies
Servings
Ingredients
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Line two half sheet cookie pans with parchment paper or even better, Silpats.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until creamy.
  3. Add the egg, vanilla and milk; beat until mixed.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine the baking soda, baking powder, pudding mix, and flour.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until combined.
  6. Shape the cookie dough into one-inch balls. For each cookie, place a half a caramel candy in the center and wrap the cookie dough around the candy.
  7. Put the sea salt into a shallow dish. Dip the top of the cookie into the salt.
  8. Place the dough balls, with the bottom slightly flattened onto prepared cookie pans about 2 inches apart.
  9. Bake 10-12 minutes or until the cookie edges are light golden brown.
  10. Allow the cookies to cool 5 minutes before transferring to cooling racks to cool completely.
Recipe Notes

Adapted from http://www.littlebittybakes.com/2011/09/blue-ribbon-sea-salted-caramel-cookies/

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Instant Pot Cassoulet

Cassoulet is a hearty French stew of meat and beans. Perfect comfort food for Canadian fall and winter. Made easier with the Instant Pot. This recipe is modified from one no longer on the web, but it’s original remains. A classic from Thomas Keller. I’ve made it a couple of times and I quite enjoy it. I find it hard to procure chicken garlic sausage, you could use chicken sausage or even mild Italian sausage. I wouldn’t call this a traditional cassoulet but it is pretty darn tasty.

Instant Pot IP-DUO60

Cassoulet
Cassoulet

Print Recipe
 Instant Pot Cassoulet with lots of Veggies
Adapted from Thomas Keller (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/thomas-kellers-slow-cooker-cassoulet.html)
Course Main Dish
Cuisine French
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes including venting
Passive Time 50 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine French
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes including venting
Passive Time 50 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Season the pork ribs generously with salt and pepper; set aside.
  2. Set pressure cooker to Sauté to heat up the insert. Add the bacon to the insert and cook until crisp on both sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat in the insert.
  3. Add half of the pork to the insert and brown on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a platter. Repeat with the remaining pork.
  4. Add the onions, carrot, celery, zucchini, kale and 1 teaspoon salt to the insert and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes and broth. Turn off the Sauté feature. Add the pork, sausage, beans, rosemary, thyme, parsley, bay leaf, kombu and garlic. Stir everything to combine.
  5. Place the lid on the pressure and lock into place. Press the Meat/Stew Button. When done, release pressure naturally. If pressed for time, NPR for 10 minutes then open the vent. Remove lid, skim off the fat, and remove and discard the bay leaf and piece of kombu. Adjust the seasonings with kosher salt and pepper.
  6. Ladle cassoulet into individual serving bowls, top with reserved bacon and fresh minced parsley. Serve with crusty rolls on the side.
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Stomach Flu

I’m recovering from a bout of gastroenteritis AKA the stomach flu for about a week now. This is the worst case of gastro I have ever had. Well, the other adult in my house had it worse than me… I was confined to my bed for 1.5 days due to extreme fatigue, muscle aches and headache. Three days of runny diarrhea. Nausea and stomach upset. Intolerance to coffee and dairy. 3 lbs lost. I guess it’s not that bad compared to my bout of gastritis earlier this year which left me with a modified diet for a month and spearheaded a weight loss of 15 lbs. Which I needed but that’s besides the point.

After a week, here is what I did to get myself back on my feet.

1) I never stopped having my kefir for breakfast. Even when I just couldn’t eat. I stuck with a half portion of steel cut oats with blueberries, honey and kefir. I took out the flax, hemp hearts, tumeric, black pepper, prunes and granola.

2) When the diarrhea stopped, i started having a small serving of real, fermented kimchi a day. I moved to twice a day, the changed to real fermented sauerkraut (Thanks Holy Kraut!) a few times a day.

3) My order of Florastor arrived today and I started taking that.

4) I avoided coffee after it started upsetting my stomach and just returned to it  today with no ill effects.

5) The only dairy I have eaten is the kefir, and a tiny amount of shredded cheese on a toddler sized portion of pizza.  I’m going to try ice cream tomorrow and see what happens.

6) I stocked up on probiotic foods to replenish the good bacteria. I prefer food to supplements so that I know I am getting live bacteria. This just knocked the wind out of me so I went with the pills (Florastor) for the first time.

7) I normally eat a diet rich in prebiotics. Prebiotics are food for the bacteria. Oatmeal, raw fruits and veggies anything with a substantial fibre component.

Here are my purely unscientific, foodie opinions on gut flora, and building a better microbiome. I think this is a trending topic these days.

Lactose intolerance. I was never lactose intolerant growing up. I used to chug a few glasses of milk every day. Over the years I have developed intolerance to varying degrees, so much that I have cut out drinking milk from the glass in my diet. I have built tolerance to the point that I can consume yogurt, cheese, ice cream and butter in moderate quantities with no issue.  A few things do affect my tolerance for dairy. Hormone shifts, and any type of gastrointestinal inflammation.  I get diarrhea and I know I’ve had too much. Well, with the gastritis, I pretty much couldn’t eat anything.

Caffeine intolerance. I have had this many times. Definitely hormone influenced. Also influenced by gastrointestinal inflammation.  I get nauseated when my tolerance is low. I’m not a huge coffee drinker, but when my tolerance is good, I can drink 3 cups a day. I normally drink one or two.

Jellyfish intolerance. This one is strange. I am not allergic  to seafood, but I throw up shortly after eating it.

Soy intolerance. This one is also strange. I used to eat a lot of tofu growing up. But I suspect it gave me awful periods because of the phytoestrogen. I can eat fermented soy like miso, soy sauce and tempeh. But I need to steer clear of tofu (which I love), soymilk and edamame. One serving every couple of weeks is fine.

I am a foodie. I have tried all sorts of things.  Century eggs, chicken feet, stinky tofu, sweetmeats, natto, durian, fungus other than mushrooms, blue rare beef, pretty well all shellfish (I love crab guts!) and some kind of preserved clam that smells like stinky socks. Even with my penchant for local, healthy and organic food, I still venture to the Chinese grocery store and buy those unidentified packages of dried ingredients my mom used to cook, mostly in soup, in my childhood. Who knows what they put in that stuff. Ok, there are a few things I won’t eat. Insects, worms, and some others that aren’t top of mind right now. Oh, and this!

I think with a diversity in diet comes a huge diversity in the bacteria that populate the gut. I have no identifiable food allergies, just intolerances. I suspect that my eagerness to try new foods as a youth has given me a healthy gut. I read some research somewhere that people in developing countries have a more diverse gut microbiome than westernized countries and less incidence of food allergies.

I have traveled a bit, but not in the last ten years or so. I’ve been to Mexico (not a resort), Belize (island kayaking and camping), Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong (love the street food!) and Great Britain. The US. doesn’t count. My trip to SE Asia was with GAP Adventures and it was stay where the locals stay, eat where they eat kind of a trip. I only got sick once, and that was in Thailand. I suspect that I may have my gut microbiome to thank for my tolerance.

After my bout with gastritis, I caught 2 colds in a row. I didn’t even recover from the first before I got the second. Even with kids, before the gastritis, I caught very few colds.  There is definitely a link between the gut and the immune system.

Moral of the story? Trust your gut. Take care of it, and it will take care of you. Full stop.

Whitehall

Yes, this blog is still alive, sort of. I took hubby out for his birthday dinner about a month ago to Whitehall. I was looking for something different; and a modern take on British influenced cuisine fit the bill. Whitehall has been around for a couple of years and I’ve always been curious about it. It’s a restaurant that has a Michelin starred touch, thanks to its chef.

I enjoyed the decor; “The Other Room” sign was hung over the entrance to well, the other room. Service was very good, with the attention to  detail that could be expected of a place with such a pedigree.

After a lot of thought, we both decided to go with the Chef’s Tasting menu as shown in the pictures below. The whipped pork rind was topped with chili which added a nice pop. The butter tasted like, well, butter.

I do like fine food without the pretentiousness of fine dining. This place fits the bill. The bread was served fittingly in a paper bag.

Whipped pork rinds, cow butter

The salad course came with an interesting twist. Stilton snow. I’m not a big fan of Stilton cheese, but the snow added a hint of subtlety to tone down the flavour.

Salt baked pickled shallot and beets with stilton snow

Hen of the Woods mushrooms are a British thing. My husband told me so. They are also a Japanese thing, known as Maitake in the Land of the Rising Sun. This dish is a nod to the Japanese influence, with the tartness of the yuzu complimenting the earthiness of the mushroom.

Maitaki (Hen of the woods) mushrooms with pickled ginger and yuzu sauce

The risotto was my least preferred dish, through no fault of the chef. Each of the previous dishes had one bold flavour with a supporting cast. The main act didn’t come out in this dish, but perhaps that was the intent.

Toasted barley and watercress risotto with cured salmon

This course was by far my favourite. The potatoes were crisped in a rich, buttery skin. I could have ate them all night long. The lamb was done to a perfect medium rare. The kebabs were herby spicy and the chutney complimented the lamb sirloin nicely.

Lamb sirloin and kebabs with cucumber pickles, mint chutney and fingerling potatoes

The pine parfait was interesting. The undertones of pine flavour matched well with the richness of the chocolate.

Pine parfait with pine oil cookie crumble, chocolate wafer and cranberry coulis honey crackle wafer

I really like the bold flavours which takes a cuisine not known for boldness to another level. Hubby would love a return visit.

Poppy seed parmesan biscuit

Whitehall Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Roast Beef on the BBQ

I love good roast beef. Before scrolling further, I have a disclaimer. I like it rare. I’ve been known to eat it blue rare. So, if the sight of rare beef offends you, close your browser now.

Still reading? Great. I bought a prime rib roast at my favourite butcher shop, Master Meats. This one weighed in at almost 5 lbs. I like to do my roasts occasionally on the BBQ and today I also decided I wanted to publish the recipe. So here you go.

Serve it with your favourite brown roux. Mine was simple. Separated the fat from the pan drippings, added enough oil to the fat to make 1/4 cup. Cooked that with 1/4 cup flour to form a paste. Added in the pan drippings and 1.5 cups of veggie stock using 1/2 a bouillon cube.  Brought to a simmer. Then adjusted salt and pepper to taste.

Four lbs and eleven ounces
Seasoned for the grill
Smoking hot
I love rare beef

Rare beef

Print Recipe
 Roast Beef on the BBQ
Servings
Ingredients
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat the grill to high.
  2. Prep roast by coating liberally with salt and pepper. Place in a cast iron pan. Cover with foil. Let it sit to come to room temperature, about 15 - 20 minutes.
  3. Calculate the cooking time as follows: 15 min per kg/hour for medium rare @325F. 18-20min per kg/hour for medium @325F.
  4. Turn off middle burner. The roast needs to be cooked on indirect heat. Place roast in middle and cook @ 425F for 30 min. This is around the high setting.
  5. Turn remaining burners down to medium and monitor the temperature. Cook at the calculated cooking time from step 3 at 325F.
  6. When done, remove roast, keep covered and let sit for at least 15 min before carving.
  7. Serve with brown gravy.
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