September 26, 2019

Taiwanese Egg Pancake

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Dan Bing 蛋餅

(Taiwanese Egg Pancake)

September 26:National Pancake Day

Islander’s college roommate from Taiwan, Monica C., would cook foods from her country and graciously share them with her. Sometimes, for Saturday brunch, they would skip the bland cafeteria food and cook together in the dorm kitchen. Dan bing, a type of Taiwanese style savory pancake, was one of the breakfast/brunch foods they would make because it was simple and filling (the proteins in the egg and pork floss and the carbs in the tortilla would provide them with energy to study—or play—for the rest of the day).

The recipe that follows is a mainland version of dan bing using flour tortillas (because as inexperienced cooks, that was all they could find as a substitute ingredient in their Midwest college town). When we visited Monica in Taiwan, we ate real dan bing (the flour pancake was much thinner) at the local cafes and they were much better and authentic than Islander and Monica’s mainland version. But it is still a delicious dish for breakfast/brunch and on National Pancake Day.

Recipe

(From Monica C.)

Ingredients

  • Chopped scallions (green parts only)
  • 4+ eggs, beaten
  • a little oil for frying
  • fresh flour tortilla
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Rousong (pork floss)

Directions

Chop the onions. Beat the eggs. Heat a little oil in a skillet. Pour beaten eggs in the middle and fry a little but not yet set. Sprinkle green onions on it.

Place a tortilla on top of the egg before it sets. Pour more beaten eggs over it to cover the top. Sprinkle green onions on it and season with salt and pepper to taste.

When the bottom egg is set, flip the entire tortilla over and fry until the egg on the bottom is set. Transfer to a plate. While still hot, carefully roll. Slice and garnish with pork floss and more green onions. Serve with soy sauce.

Notes

  •  Search our blog for other sweet pancake recipes.
 

September 24, 2019

Cherries Jubilee Cookies

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Cherries Jubilee Cookies

September 24:National Cherries Jubilee Day

We avoid flambéing our foods because we do not want to cause a fire in our complex and upset our neighbors on either side of our walls. So we find recipes that can be adapted for the food holiday, like these cherries jubilee cookies for National Cherries Jubilee Day. They are soft and crumbly and uniquely spiced. The main “jubilee” ingredients are the chewy dried cherries that have been soaked in cherry-flavored brandy—without the flambé! Cherries jubilee is often served with vanilla ice cream and these cookies would be a good accompaniment as well as a teatime treat. Cheers to cherries jubilee cookies on National Cherries Jubilee Day!

Recipe

(Adapted from “Country Home Magazine”)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried cherries
  • ½ cup brandy (we used Kirshwasser)
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • ¾ cup sugar, granulated white (plus more for coating the cookies)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder

Directions

In a saucepan, combine the dried cherries with the brandy. Simmer for a minute or two, pressing down on the cherries to release their juices to mix with the brandy. Remove from heat and let stand for half an hour. Drain and reserve two tablespoons of the liquid.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Add the whole egg and egg yolk. Stir in the two tablespoons of reserved cherry liquid. In a separate bowl, combine the flour with Chinese five spice powder.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a sticky dough is formed. Fold in the cherries and blend thoroughly. Scoop and roll into one-inch balls. Place at least an inch apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest on the cookie sheet for about five minutes. Roll the warm cookies in a bowl of granulated sugar. Cool completely on a wire rack. Yield: Approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Notes

  • The original recipe calls for rolling the unbaked cookie dough balls in sugar. But they tasted better when they were rolled after baking to give a nicer texture and taste.
  • Search our blog for other recipes containing cherries.

 

September 10, 2019

Bitterballen

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Bitterballen (Dutch Meatballs)

September 10: Feast Day of St. Theodard of Maastritch

Highlander and his co-workers stopped in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, for a day, after a week-long business meeting in Germany. They took advantage of seeing the city before having to fly back to the United States the next morning.  Although it was just a quick tour through the quaint streets by the river, they enjoyed the sights—and snacks.

One of the most popular snacks in the Netherlands is bitterballen (deep fried beef croquettes or meatballs). Islander tried to re-create them at home so she could experience a little bit of what Highlander sampled in Amsterdam.

We also wanted to make a traditional Dutch dish with beef as an ingredient in honor of a seventh century bishop in The Netherlands—St. Theodard of Maastritch—the patron saint of drovers and cattle dealers. Try making bitterballen on his feast day for a taste of The Netherlands.

Recipe

(Adapted from Taste of Home)

Ingredients

  • ¾ pound beef (sirloin steak)
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, minced
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • ½ cup beef broth
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • oil (for deep frying)

Directions

Chop the beef into ¼ inch pieces. Mince the parsley. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.

Stir in the flour and mix until smooth. Gradually stir in the broth to make the gravy. Boil until thickened. Stir in the meat. Add the chopped parsley. Cook and stir until the meat is no longer pink (about 3-5 minutes).

Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Transfer to a bowl, cool, cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours to allow the flavors to develop and solidify. In a small shallow bowl, put the breadcrumbs in it. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and oil. Remove the meat mixture from the refrigerator and scoop into 1.5 inch sized balls.

Dip balls into flour mixture, then egg and then roll again to coat in breadcrumbs. Deep fry until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes). Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with mustard (optional).

Notes

  • Bitterballen has a very moist, meaty center. Make sure to fry them long enough to heat the beef inside.
  • We are working on trying more Dutch recipes and will add them to our Theme Menus list soon.
 

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