Jook (aka Congee) (aka Rice Porridge) (aka YUM !!)

don't let the name(s) fool you !

Seriously, I think the hardest part of this dish - both making it and writing about it - is the name. There's just no way to make "jook" or "congee" sound like a Culinary Orgasm (and forget about rice porridge...who wants to eat porridge ? Isn't that what Dickensian orphans eat ? ) The nearest translation my culinary mind could make was "Asian risotto", but even that isn't close (especially since Asians will eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner). Alex dubbed it "Chinese Chicken and Dumplings", since the version I made has many of the same ingredients as my Chicken and Dumplings  (chicken thighs, mushrooms, peas) ...and since I served it with some potstickers I happened to have on hand. Whatever you want to call it is fine with me, as long as you call it home to supper !

mmmmm !

Jook (or Congee) at it core is just rice cooked in a lot of liquid until it is very, very soft . Nearly every Asian country claims some version of this dish, from the Indian kanji to the Filipino lugaw. It can be eaten plain, or with any variety of sweet or savory topping known to humankind - milk and sugar, nuts and vegetables, chicken, fish, or any other meat you fancy, and whatever kind of spice or sauce you can dream up (in fact, many people say it's all about what you top it with). It's the ultimate comfort food - what your Chinese grandma would make you when you were sick, if you were lucky enough to have such a thing. (A Chinese grandma, not a sick ! ).  Indeed, it was while researching "soft food" that I came across many, many people recommending it as just the thing (as to my research....there's a long story there involving a bicycle, some pavement, and my poor husband's face :( ). I knew about jook/congee already, what with my addiction to all things cookery...but had never tried to make or eat it. Here, then, was the perfect opportunity to see what all the fuss was about. As to the results...well, the patient ate three bowls of it that night, and four days later is looking MUCH better...apparently those Chinese grandmas know their stuff !

A few notes on what I used for my particular version :

I was a little concerned about using my beloved Uncle Ben's rice, as I wasn't sure if the conversion process would leave the rice with not enough starch. As you can see it came out perfectly creamy; I think for my next batch I'm going to try some of the Texmati or Jasmine rice I always have on hand (was originally worried they would be too flowery, but now that I've had it I really don't think that will be an issue). The nice thing about this one is that you don't have to obsess about the perfect rice-liquid ratio : the idea is for it to be creamy and soupy, but it's really up to you (that's why I give a range of liquid; you can always add more if it's not the consistency you like ). Oh. and this probably goes without saying, but don't try this with Minute Rice. (Not that I ever use the stuff but hey, we don't judge around here ! )

Garnishes are up to you - I put out bowls of chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, and diced cooked sausage that I had warmed up in a pan. Many recipes call for cubes of cooked bacon and/or deep fried or sautéed onions or shallots - both of which I will try at some point as I think they both sound divine. Chopped peanuts were also mentioned by many...I'm not a huge peanut person, but I think I may try that as well.

I also put out a few of my favorite Asian sauces...

just a few of my favorite things...peanut sauce, tamari, toasted sesame oil, fish sauce, sambal (chili sauce)

So the next time you're looking for Chinese comfort food...consider the humble jook. You'll be glad you did !

Chicken and Mushroom Jook (Congee)

4 -5 cups water
4 -5 cups chicken stock
2 lbs chicken thighs, bone in
1 cup white rice (see above)
4 slices fresh ginger, about 1/4 inch each (no need to peel)
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup sliced (or whole baby) mushrooms
1 cup frozen peas
toasted sesame oil 

Garnishes (see above) - chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, anything else that sounds good plus your choice of sauce(s)

Pull the skin off of the chicken thighs, and place in a large pot. Cover with 4 cups of water and 4 cups of stock, then add the rice, ginger, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for an hour until the rice is very soft creamy, stirring occasionally.

Remove the chicken thighs and set aside to cool a bit (so you can get the meat off without burning your fingers). Stir in the mushrooms and the peas, adding more stock and water if needed (you're going for a thick soup sort of consistency). Let the jook simmer to cook the mushrooms while you get the chicken off the bones and shred the meat (two forks work great for this). Add the chicken back to the pot and stir, adding a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and more salt and/or pepper to taste. Once everything is heated through to your liking remove from heat and serve, passing the garnishes at the table

Lemon Trifle

light lemony love...

I really debated as to whether or not to post this recipe, but over the years I've had so many requests for it that I finally decided I had to just let go and do it. Not that it's not delicious - it is most definitely that, sweet (but not too sweet) and light as a cloud with a pleasant lemony tang. And not that it's not beautiful - trifles just look so pretty, standing tall in their bowl with their lovely layers just begging you to dig deeper. And it's not that I want to keep it to myself - I love sharing my kitchen adventures with the world, or I wouldn't have started this blog !

No, my problem with this recipe is just that I'm a little embarrassed by it.

I came up with this recipe many, MANY years ago when I was participating in a popular weight loss program. The base of the trifle - the lemon layer - was something that the receptionist had come up with to get the most point value out of her yogurt. She would take a box of sugar-free Jello (any flavor would work) and add hot water per the package instructions, but instead of cold water she would add in...yogurt. Allowed to set in the fridge, this concoction would turn into something between Jello and pudding - almost the texture of a very smooth pie filling. Portioned off into cups, it made a totally delicious dessert or snack with half the point value of regular yogurt (as the Jello was "free") . She also made a desert by layering this stuff with (as I recall), fruit cocktail and "rusk" cookies that the program sold. Not being a fruit cocktail fan, I started tweaking...and eventually came up with the infamous Lemon Trifle. And while I eventually swapped in some more "foodie" ingredients, at its core this dessert is really still a combination of premade cookies and American convenience foods...namely, Jello and Cool Whip. (Anyone who makes the very popular versions of Chocolate Trifle out there will tell you that for some reason, Cool Whip works a lot better that actual whipped cream...it just holds up better). Here, then, is the source of my embarrassment...I'm not usually known for my love of convenience foods. Don't take on my issues, though...by all means, if you are a lemon fan and don't mind Cool Whip (I have a not-so-secret affection for the stuff), make this trifle. (If Cool Whip really freaks you out and you want to try it with regular whipped cream, use the real stuff you whip yourself using 10x sugar to sweeten and stabilize it...or try one of these other stabilization methods : http://www.wikihow.com/Stabilize-Whipped-Cream. Don't even go there with the canned stuff.)

One of the reasons the lemon was so great in my first versions of this recipe (other than the fact that I love lemon desserts) is that masks the aftertaste you can get from sugar-free products - the tartness really overrides the bitterness.  So if going low or no sugar is your thing, use sugar-free versions of some or all the components...Jello, yogurt, and Cool Whip all come in sugar-free versions, of course, and you can even get sugar-free cookies or angel food cake. Just bring the sugar down to whatever level you feel comfortable with. Made with regular versions of all the products, though, this really is a gorgeous, light dessert that everyone is always happy to see...it can travel to any party with ease.  Oh, and if you don't have a trifle bowl use a large glass bowl or even a glass baking dish...simple trifle bowls are cheap, though, and you'll find them useful for all sorts of things.

Enjoy ! ~ CO

Lemon Trifle

• 1 large (6 oz) or two small (3 oz) boxes Lemon Jello
• 2 cups vanilla yogurt
• 1 package ladyfinger cookies (the crunchy kind) (you will probably not use entire package) OR substitute : biscotti (lemon or vanilla) , cubes of stale angel food cake or soft ladyfingers gone stale, even Nilla wafers...whatever strikes your fancy !) 
• 2 tablespoons Limoncello (optional)
• 1 20 oz can crushed pineapple in juice
• 1 12 oz container Cool Whip, defrosted (if you aren't trying to go sugar free, get Extra Creamy) OR 3 cups sweetened, stabilized whipped cream (see above)
• 1 lemon, for zesting (if you're not using the Limoncello and you can find Meyer lemons, use one...you can use the juice as you would the Limoncello) 

DAY BEFORE : In a large bowl, dissolve Jello in boiling water as per package directions. Substitute the 2 cups vanilla yogurt for the cold water called for on the box. Whisk this mixture well, cover and let set in the fridge overnight. If you are using cake or soft cookies instead of ladyfingers, set them out to go stale at this point as well (cube the cake first)

NEXT DAY - build your trifle. Start with a layer of ladyfingers; cover the bottom of your bowl, and sprinkle with the Limoncello or Meyer lemon juice if using. Spoon half the pineapple over the cookies (use a slotted spoon if you have already moistened the cookies with something else; otherwise use some of the juice in there too). Repeat all layers, ending with Cool Whip. Zest the lemon over the top.

Refrigerate trifle for at least 4 hours before serving

Chocolate Ricotta Icebox Cake

summertime chocolate perfection...and no baking ! it's magically delicious !  

Chocolate cake in the heat of summer can be a bit of a tricky proposition. Certainly, you don't want to eat anything warm. Even cakes that are usually eaten cold - like, say, cheesecake - require turning on the oven, which seems a bit of a waste (especially when you have 3 AC's going full blast). Plus you really don't want to eat anything so heavy that it might cause you to pass out into the pool. And sure, you can always do a chocolate mousse or something instead...but what if you just need cake ? Like, cake you can stick birthday candles in and pass out slices of ?

Readers, I think I found the solution :

Sadly, I only got to snap the slices after it was almost all gone...with two men with forks looking over my shoulder waiting for the last piece. Trust me when I say it served up MUCH neater than this !!

Well, actually, Martha Stewart really found it. And truth be told, my original intent wasn't to beat the heat; my mother had requested one of my "decadent flourless chocolate cakes" for her birthday/retirement party (turning 65 will do that to you :).) I have a few cakes that fit that bill, but unfortunately they all involve nuts - and we had a possible attendee with a severe allergy. Clearly, a new recipe was in order. I'd been thinking about trying to make a cake with a really delicious ricotta cheese that we've been buying at Russo's...and I knew I wanted to make something chocolate. Googled "ricotta" and chocolate"...and before I knew it, I had a new favorite summer chocolate cake. And - super bonus - there was no turning on of the oven ! Yes, I love it when a plan comes together...

Top to bottom - killer ricotta, chocolate wafers (in package and deployed), Ghiradelli chocolate

I think one of the keys to this cake is that you absolutely have to use quality ingredients - you'll see that there aren't too many actual ingredients in this thing, so you'll really want to make sure the few you use are the best stuff you can possibly get. The ricotta I used in this is from a New England company called Liuzzi Angeloni and it is a revelation -a big muffin-top bulge of cheese, packaged in little white pails with tiny holes and water all around to keep it fresh. It tastes like no ricotta you've ever had - creamy, slightly sweet and a little tangy at the same time. We've been known to eat it by itself on a plate, with a little salt, pepper, olive oil and fresh basil snipped over...but I digress; back to dessert. Use the best ricotta you can find, as local as you can get (I'm also itching to try and make my own, which would be perfect for this). Oh, and go for the full fat instead of the part skim - you'll taste the difference, and it's not like you're going to eat this every day. (Or maybe you are...hey, whatever does it for you :) Quality chocolate is also key (Ghirardelli is a reliable standby you can find in most supermarkets), and the Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers are absolutely necessary - they're the perfect thickness to make this whole thing work. Do not be tempted to grind them up - they form a solid base for the cake layers to set up on, and then absorb just enough moisture to turn into a delicious cake-like layer and base...it's like magic !   The whole thing turns out like a cross between a chocolate mousse and the smoothest cheesecake you've ever had...definite Culinary Orgasm.

Chocolate Ricotta Icebox Cake

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Nonstick cooking spray

16 ounces semisweet chocolate (do not use chips)

30 ounces ricotta cheese, room temperature (see below)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Godiva Liquor or Kaluha (optional)
1 package (9 ounces) chocolate wafers (about 44 cookies)
 

Place your ricotta in a strainer (best to line with cheesecloth or even a paper towel) and let as much water drain out as possible. Set aside to let it come to room temperature.

Prepare your pan: Remove sides from a 9-inch round springform pan. Place a sheet of waxed paper over bottom, leaving an overhang; lock sides onto bottom, firmly securing paper. Spray inside of pan with cooking spray; line sides with a strip of waxed paper 28 inches long and wide enough to match the height of your pan (mine was about 3 inches)  

Make chocolate-ricotta mixture: Break 12 ounces of the chocolate into pieces. Place in a double boiler (or a heatproof medium bowl set over, not in, a pan of barely simmering water.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until chocolate has melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

In a food processor (do not use a blender; you need power for this step!) blend ricotta until very smooth, a couple of minutes, scraping down sides of bowl. Add warm chocolate (and liquor if using); blend until smooth. In a large bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in chocolate-ricotta mixture.

Assemble cake: Arrange half the cookies in an overlapping pattern to cover bottom of pan (see picture). Spoon half the chocolate-ricotta mixture on top of cookies; smooth top. Cover with remaining cookies; top with remaining chocolate-ricotta mixture, and smooth top. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.

This cake is much easier to serve if you can pop it in the freezer for about 30 minutes before serving. Before you put it in the freezer, use a vegetable peeler to shave curls off the last 4 oz of chocolate over top of cake.

After it comes out of the freezer (or just before serving, after adding the chocolate curls) release sides of pan and remove waxed paper from sides.

Wiping the blade after each slice will help immensely!