VOL. 36 | NO. 38 | Friday, September 21, 2012
Do you know sweetbreads from panko?
It’s been a while since I’ve featured a cooking quiz, so I think today is a good time to have one.
Some of the questions might be easy for you, but in all honesty, I missed quite a few. The answers are found at the end of the recipes.
About the recipes: My daughter fixed these for dinner last night and said they are great and easy.
I haven’t made them myself, but I don’t doubt her on either claim. She has a husband who is a very fussy eater, so most stuff has to be good, and she has three children: a 6-year old, a 2-year old and a 9-month old.
“Quick” is her middle name.
You should hear the 9-month old when he’s hungry! She rates his crying from one to four, with four being the extreme. However, when he’s hungry, he gets up to seven– I promise! So, you’d better be super quick!
Back to the recipes, which are for sweet and sour chicken and fried rice. I know you probably have a recipe for these that are your favorites, but the reason these are different is because the chicken is baked instead of deep-fried, so you get great flavor without the fat.
The fried rice is fried, but that only makes sense, right? However, it is healthy anyway, as it calls for sesame oil, which is much better for you than other kinds of typically used oils.
So, try these for dinner tonight. You won’t be disappointed!
Put on your thinking caps – here’s the “quiz de jour.”
1. What are sweetbreads?
A. Portuguese egg rolls with a sugar glaze
B. Breads leavened by baking soda or powder rather than yeast
C. Thymus glands of a calf
D. Starchy tropical fruits
2. What is pho?
A. Vietnamese beef-noodle soup
B. A Greek seafood stew
C. A Colombian potato dish
D. An Indian curry
3. What is panko?
A Thin, mild-tasting white fish
B. Japanese breadcrumbs
C. A broad, flat noodle
D. A nonstick pan coating
4. What is pimenton?
A. Mint-infused oil
B. Stuffing for olives
C. Smoked paprika
D. A natural red food-coloring agent
5. Which of the following ingredients can be used as an emulsifier in salad dressing?
A. Egg yolks
B. Skim milk
C. Mustard
D. All of the above
6. What is tomato concasse?
A. A fancy carrying bag for tomatoes
B. A special technique for chopping tomatoes
C. A rare heirloom tomato
D. A tomato broth
7. A baby Portobello mushroom is known as a:
A. Porcini
B. Cremni
C. Portobellini
D. Enoki
8. What does pincer mean?
A. To crimp piecrust into a scalloped edge
B. To cook tomato paste until it turns brick red
C. To remove the claws from a lobster
D. Strip herb leaves from their stems
9. What is a chapon?
A. An heirloom carrot variety
B. A delicious French pastry
C. A type of knife used for small tasks
D. A large, Rustic crouton
10. Dried ripened poblano peppers are called:
A. Ancho chilies
B. Chilies de arbol
C. Guajillo chilies
D. Chipotle chilies
11. To “bard” a roast means to:
A. Tie it
B. Read it some Shakespeare
C. Wrap it in fat
D. Brown it
12. Which of the following is NOT part of the herb mixture known as fine herbs?
A. Sage
B. Parsley
C. Chives
D. Chervil
13. Filé powder is made from the ground, dried leaves of which tree?
A. Maple
B. Hickory
C. Walnut
D. Sassafras
14. Matcha is:
A. Korean fish stew
B. Powdered Japanese green tea
C. Indonesian spice blend
D. A fermented beverage that comes from Peru
Answers:
C. Thymus glands of a calf
A. Vietnamese beef-noodle soup
B. Japanese breadcrumbs
C. Smoked paprika
D. All of the above
B. A special technique for chopping tomatoes
B. Cremini
B. To cook tomato paste until it turns brick red
D. A large, rustic crouton
A. Ancho chilies
C. Wrap it in fat
A. Sage
D. Sassafras
B. Powdered Japanese green tea
Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken
Chicken coating:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
The sweet and sour sauce:
2/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse chicken in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Drain chicken and place in a 9x13 greased baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk the sweet and sour sauce ingredients together and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour, turning the chicken pieces over about every 15 minutes.
Fried Rice
3 cups cooked white rice (use leftover rice, or rice you’ve refrigerated for at least three hours)
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)
3 green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup soy sauce
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the peas, carrots, onions and garlic. Stir-fry until tender. Lower the heat to medium low and push the mixture off to one side. Pour eggs on the other side of wok and stir until scrambled. Add the rice and soy sauce and blend together well. Stir fry until thoroughly heated.