Dumplings need no introduction. The crispy yet chewy wrapper and the juicy savory filling are always a crowd pleaser. All you have to do is decide what filling suits your taste for the day. Today, I chose a pretty traditional pork and chive filling because it’s a classic. This recipe, however, is rather ginger forward because I absolutely love ginger and it balances out the fattiness of the pork really well.

Side note: The most legit way to do this would be to make your own dough for the wrappers but sometimes life gets really busy and there is nothing wrong with relying on pre-made wrappers. Also, I live in a really dry climate and trying to keep dough from drying out is nothing short of a herculean task.

Side side note: My dipping sauce of choice is usually doubanjiang (spicy soy bean paste), soy sauce, and vinegar but this is entirely up to personal preference.

Filling Mix

• 1 lbs Pork Belly

• 1 lbs Pork Loin

• 3 g Sea Salt

• 10 g White Pepper

• 5 g Sugar

• 2 g MSG

• 50 g Ginger (minced)

• 25 g Shallots (minced)

• 200 g Korean Chives (chopped)

• 10 g Soy Sauce

• 20 g Taiwanese Rice Wine (a.k.a Michiu)

• 10 g Oyster Sauce

• 10 g Sesame Oil

• 1 Egg

Flour Slurry

• 50 g AP Flour

• 70 g Water

The Filling

1. Prepare a large mixing bowl that can easily hold all of the ingredients as well as being able to mix them thoroughly.

2. Cut the pork belly and pork loin into 1 inch chunks. Season the pork with the sea salt, white pepper, sugar, and MSG. Slowly feed pieces of the seasoned pork into the meat grinder. Passing the pork through the grinder only once will result in larger pieces of pork and the filling will be juicier. Catch the pork in the large mixing bowl.

3. Add in the ginger, shallots, Korean chives, soy sauce, Taiwanese rice wine, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and egg. Using your hands, mix everything until everything is well combined.

4. Make the flour slurry in a small bowl and set aside.

The Folding

1. Take a wrapper and place about 1 Tbsp of filling in the middle. It might be more or less depending on the size of your wrapper.

2. Using the back of a spoon, spread a thin layer of the flour slurry along the edge of the north half of the wrapper. Imagine the crescent moon on Sailor Moon’s forehead.

3. Bring the bottom half to meet the top half and pinch in the middle. This will be your reference point.

4. Fold three times to the left and three times to the right.

5. Pinch tightly to make sure everything is sealed properly

6. Remember to use a damp towel to drape over the folded dumplings to prevent the finished one from drying out while you keep folding.

Storage

1. This usually makes A LOT of dumplings so I tend to immediately throw them into the freezer right after folding (single layer on a tray). After they are completely frozen, I toss them into a container for easy storage and cook them from frozen whenever I want a quick meal.

The Cooking

1. Put a frying pan that has a fitted lid on medium to medium-high heat. Drizzle a little bit of vegetable oil and wait for the oil to heat up.

2. Once the pan and oil are nice and hot, place down as many dumplings as you would like. Make sure that there is a bit of space between the dumplings so they don’t stick to each other during the cooking process.

3. Evenly pour in about 100mL of water around the dumplings and IMMEDIATELY close the lid. This will trap the steam in which will help cook the dumplings.

4. Leave the dumplings to cook with the lid on for 8 - 9 minutes. After the water evaporates, the bottom will start to crisp up.

5. After 8 - 9 minutes, take off the lid and check the color of the dumplings on the bottom. If they are a nice gold brown, take them out the pan. If they still look pale, keep them in the pan a little longer and/or move them to where the pan is the hottest. Once each dumpling is golden brown on the bottom, the wrapper is semi-translucent on top, and the filling is opaque, then it’s done!

Focaccia is always so tasty and is one of my favorite breads because you can put anything as the topping. Today, I made a tomato sauce and spread it over the top with some rosemary and just a few swirls of honey. The crunchy crust and the spongy interior is so satisfying. Serve it with an arugula salad and some mortadella for a perfect simple lunch or just cut a slice for a mid-afternoon snack!

Tomato Sauce (Prepared ahead of time)

• 2 Onions (diced)

• 2 Carrots (diced)

• 2 Red Bell Peppers (diced)

• 10 cloves Garlic (minced)

• 2 cans Crushed Tomatoes (28oz each)

• 4 sprigs Rosemary

• Salt

• Black Pepper

• Cayenne Pepper (optional)

1. In a large pot, sautée the onions, carrots, red bell peppers, and garlic until fragrant.

2. Add in the cans of crushed tomatoes and the rosemary and simmer on medium-low heat for about 3 hours. While this is a relatively simple recipe, I know this takes a long time, but the resulting sauce will have a much more developed flavor.

3. Fish out the rosemary stems.

4. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. (Optional) Use an immersion blender to make the sauce as smooth as possible. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can help the consistency of the sauce by chopping the vegetables more finely. You can also scoop portions of the sauce into a food processor and make it smooth in batches but this option always seems like too much hassle and clean up to me.

Focaccia

• 250 g Bread Flour

• 10 g Sea Salt

• 14 g Active Dry Yeast (2 packets)

• 25 g Olive Oil

• 220 g Warm Water (about 90°F - not too hot or the yeast could die)

1. Pour 50 g of water in a large mixing bowl and combine the yeast. Let the yeast bloom. Once you see some frothy bubbles, you’ll know that the yeast is alive and you can proceed.

2. Add in the flour, salt, olive oil, and the rest of the water. Using a silicon spatula, thoroughly combine all of the ingredients, making sure the scrape down the sides. The dough will look shaggy but there shouldn’t be any dry flour left.

3. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

4. After resting, add in 10 g of olive oil into the bowl and, using your hands, gently work around the edges of the dough to make sure nothing is sticking. Then perform the first fold.

5. First fold: Grab a handful of dough along the northern edge and gently stretch it upward as far as it will go without ripping and fold down. Repeat this 3 more times along the south, east, and west edge for a total of 4 stretch and folds. Then flip the dough over. With a cupping motion, tuck and rotate the dough to create a smooth surface.

6. Cover the mixing bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

7. After resting, perform the second fold. Repeat the steps in the first fold.

8. After the second fold, tightly cover the mixing bowl and put the dough in the refrigerator. Keep the dough in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours. The cold of the refrigerator will allow for a slower fermentation process and deepen the overall flavor of the focaccia.

9. After resting the dough in the refrigerator, turn the dough out into a cast iron skillet.

10. Third fold: Repeat the stretch and fold technique one last time and then try to stretch the dough to fit the skillet as much as possible. Cover and let the dough come up to temp and finish its final rise for about 1 hour to 1.5 hours.

11. About 30 minutes before the dough is finished proofing, preheat the oven to 500°F. Place one oven rack at the very bottom rung and the other oven rack at the very top.

12. Once the dough is finished proofing, hold your hand like a claw and dimple all around the dough.

13. Gently spread the tomato sauce, rosemary, a drizzle of honey (optional), and a little bit more olive oil on the top. Key word is gentle. The dough should be full of gas and very bouncy.

14. Using a spray bottle, spray the surface of the focaccia 2 - 3 times. This will help the dough to rise.

15. Place the dough on the very bottom rack to start. After placing the dough into the oven, very quickly spray water directly into the oven about 15 - 20 times. This is to replicate steam injectors of professional ovens. After closing the oven door, lower the temperature to 450°F

16. Bake on the lower rack until you start to see the edges of the focaccia start to pull away from the sides of the skillet. This will be about 20 - 25 minutes. This will help to form a crispy bottom crust.

17. Then transfer the focaccia to the top rack for 5 - 10 minutes. This will help make a crispy top crust.

18. Once the top is nicely caramelized, take out the focaccia and let it cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before cutting into it.

As a sushi lover, I came around to uni (a.k.a. sea urchin) a little late in the game but now it is one of my all time favorite things. Uni is silky, creamy, and packed with umami. I usually enjoy it simply as gunkan “boat” nigiri but the taste and texture lends itself incredibly well to pasta dishes. Mafaldine is a shape of pasta that is similar to tagliatelle but has a wavy edge which makes it more delicate and better suited to uni. Also, as corny as it may sound, when I think of uni, I think of the ocean, which, in turn, makes me think of waves. I topped the pasta with watercress and scallion microgreens because I wanted a bit of a bite that would not overpower the uni. I also included ikura (salmon roe) and tobiko (flying fish roe) to have pleasant bursts of saltiness. Give yourself an amazing treat and try this delicious uni mafaldine pasta!

Pasta Dough

• 200 g AP Flour

• 100 g Semolina Flour

• 3 Eggs + 3 Egg Yolks

• 20 g Olive Oil

1. Bring all of the ingredients together and knead until soft and smooth. Wrap in plastic and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

2. Divide the dough into 4 parts so it is easier to work with. Keep the dough that is not being used wrapped in plastic so it doesn’t dry out or form a skin.

3. Roll out the portion of dough to #7 level of thinness and cut into your desired shape. Hang to dry if the pasta won’t be used right away.

Uni Mafaldine Pasta

• 100 g Uni (about 1 tray)

  • Reserve the best looking pieces to garnish the pasta.

• 60 g Unsalted Butter (softened)

• 1 Egg Yolk

• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil

• 3 cloves Garlic (finely minced)

• 1/2 tsp Anchovy Powder

• 1/4 Cup Rice Wine

• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

• 1/4 Cup Kombu Kelp

• Watercress Microgreens (optional)

• Scallion Microgreens (optional)

• Ikura (optional)

• Tobiko (optional)

1. Combine the uni, butter, and egg yolk into a saucy paste and set aside.

2. In the pot that you will be boiling the pasta, fill with about 4 Cups water and add in the kombu. Boil for 20 minutes and then take out the kombu. Use this kombu water to cook the pasta.

3. In a pan, heat up the olive oil on medium heat and add in the garlic to gently brown. Add in the rice wine, anchovy powder, and cayenne pepper.

4. In the pot with the kombu water, boil the pasta for 1 - 2 minutes or just until pliable. Then transfer the pasta to the pan to finish cooking.

5. In the pan, add about 1 Cup of the pasta water and toss/mix the pasta around to make a sort of sauce.

6. Add in the uni butter mixture and continue to toss/mix. Add in pasta water as necessary so the pasta doesn’t become too dry.

7. Plate up, garnish, and enjoy!

Grapefruit is often the forgotten citrus and I rarely find any desserts with this flavor but I have always found it really refreshing. The grapefruit flavor is rather intense in this recipe so you would really have to like grapefruit to just eat the shortbread cookies by itself. The addition of the mango curd really nicely mellows out the grapefruit while the grapefruit really lifts up the mango. The combination of the two is the perfect harmony.

Grapefruit Shortbread

• 227 g Unsalted Butter (softened)

• 120 g Sugar

• 3 g Salt

• 4 g Vanilla Extract

• 28 g Heavy Cream

• 50 g Reduced Grapefruit Juice

  • This is about the juice of 2 grapefruits reduced down.

  • Reduce the juice along with the peels of the grapefruit. When peeling, be careful not to cut off any of the white part.

• 454 g AP Flour

1. Cream the butter and sugar together. Whisk until the butter is super light and fluffy.

2. Add in the salt, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and reduced grapefruit juice.

3. Add in the flour and mix together.

4. The dough can either be put through a cookie stamp or can be rolled out into a thin sheet and cut into shapes.

5. Chill the shaped/cut dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before baking.

6. Preheat the oven to 360°F.

7. Bake for 14 - 15 minutes. Leave the cookies on the baking tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a baking rack.

8. Shortbread cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 - 4 days.

Mango Curd

• 295 g Mango Purée

  • Pushed through a sieve to remove any solid bits and to make it super smooth.

• 50 g Sugar

• 60 g Honey

• 20 g Lime Juice

• 2 Eggs + 3 Egg Yolks

• 115 g Unsalted Butter (cold and cubed)

1. Whisk the mango purée, sugar, honey, lime juice, eggs, and egg yolks together in a sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk constantly to not end up with scrambled eggs. Gently cook until the mixture thickens a lot and it resembles pudding in consistency.

2. Take the pan off the heat and slowly add in the butter while still whisking. Add in 3 - 4 cubes at a time and fully incorporate the butter before adding more.

3. The mango curd can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 weeks or in the freezer for up to 12 months.

My ideal brownie is one that is more cake-y rather than fudge-y. I’ve heard that I’m in the minority on this one but I just can’t believe it. A good cake-y brownie is one of the most satisfying things in the world! In this recipe, the brownie is chocolaty and rich but is nicely balanced with subtle bitter notes that is given by adding coffee and dark chocolate. The top is then decorated with matcha white chocolate.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease and lightly flour a 9” x 13” baking pan.

• 400 g Sugar

• 5 Eggs

• 180 g AP Flour

• 110 g Cocoa Powder

• 40 g Dark Chocolate (Chopped or processed in a food processor very finely)

• 30 g Milk Powder (Optional)

• 10 g Instant Coffee

• 10 g Baking Powder

• 7 g Salt

• 115 g Whole Milk (Can also substitute water)

• 8 g Vanilla Extract

• 227 g Unsalted Butter (Gently melted)

1. Whisk the sugar and eggs together until it becomes light and frothy. The mixture should increase slightly in volume.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, milk powder (optional), instant coffee, baking powder, and salt. This is the dry mix.

3. In another container, mix together the milk (or water) and the vanilla extract.

4. When adding the ingredients to the eggs and sugar, alternate between the dry mix and the milk mixture. Pour in half of the dry mix and gently fold until mostly incorporated. Pour in half of the milk mixture and fold until incorporated. Repeat. Don’t beat the mixture too much.

5. Pour in the melted butter and fold until everything is combined.

6. Gently pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Lightly tap on the counter to release any big bubbles.

7. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes.

The topping is approximately 160 g of White Chocolate Chips that have been mixed with about 2 tsp of Matcha Powder and then slowly melted in a bain-marie. I did not want tempered chocolate so I immediately decorated the top of my brownie once all of the chocolate was melted.

With a slightly crispy exterior with a soft and fluffy interior, madeleines are an absolutely delicious treat that is incredibly versatile when it comes to different flavors. In this recipe, the zest from the lime and the warming spice from the ginger perfectly complement the sweetness and the subtle fruity notes of the pumpkin.

Eat them as is with a cup of coffee for a simple breakfast or dip them in white chocolate and sprinkle with chopped pistachios for a cute dessert.

• 3 Eggs

• 90 g Granulated Sugar

• 40 g Brown Sugar

• 113 g Unsalted Butter (8 Tbsp)

  • Make brown butter (a.k.a. beurre noisette) by gently melting the butter and cooking it until the milk solids turn a deep brown color. Watch it carefully as it can burn very quickly.

• 160 g Pumpkin Purée

• 1 Lime (Zest and Juice)

• 30 g Ginger (Very finely minced)

• 10 g Ginger Powder

• 3 - 4 g Salt

• Pinch of Citric Acid (optional)

• 2 g Vanilla Extract

• 160 g AP Flour

• 5 g Baking Powder

• 3 g Baking Soda

1. Vigorously whip the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until it is light and frothy and has increased in volume.

2. Add in the pumpkin purée, lime zest, lime juice, ginger, ginger powder, salt, citric acid, and vanilla extract. Using a folding motion, gently whisk until combined. Do not beat the batter too hard at this point.

3. Sift in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda into the batter. Again, using a folding motion, gently whisk until combined.

4. Add in the brown butter (a.k.a. beurre noisette) and fold until combined.

5. The batter can go into oven right away but for better results, chill in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 2 hours.

6. When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 440°F. Butter the madeleine baking tray and dust with flour. Fill each mold about 3/4 full. Bake for 7 minutes.

7. Then lower the oven temperature to 360°F and bake for an additional 7 - 8 minutes.

8. Take them out of the oven and let them cool in their molds for 5 minutes. Then gently pop the madeleines out of their molds. Rest them on their side in their molds to let them cool completely. I suggest not using a wire rack since it will leave marks on the surface of the madeleines.

9. Serve them as is or dipped in white chocolate.

One of my all time Chinese-American restaurant favorites!! Ever since my parents decided to retire from the restaurant business, I have been on a quest to find all of those Chinese-American dishes that I absolutely love. Well, I haven’t had much luck so I decided that I am just going to make them. I knew I was I was on the right track when I tasted this soup after putting everything together and I experienced a “being teleported back to my childhood memories in Ratatouille” moment.

This soup is spicy and tangy. A perfect pick me up as the weather gets colder and colder. It’s full of delicious goodies like pork, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and tofu that is sure to fill you up and warm you through.

• 1.5 lbs Chicken Thighs (With bones and skin)

• 5 pieces of Ginger (Cut into one inch chunks)

• 1 cube Beef Stock

  • I conveniently had some homemade beef stock cubes on hand so I decided to use it as a substitute for 1 Tbsp MSG.

• 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce

• 3/4 Cup Vinegar

• 10 Dried Thai Chilis (whole)

• 3 Tbsp Black Peppercorns

• Salt (To taste)

• 1 lbs Country Style Ribs (Cut into thin strips)

  • Marinade overnight in 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce, 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil, 1 Tbsp Ginger Powder, and 1 tsp Baking Powder

• 2 Cups Shiitake Mushrooms (Thinly sliced and roasted)

  • Spread the sliced mushrooms in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toss in vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in an oven at 400°F for 20 minutes.

  • The mushrooms will shrink a lot so feel free to use more, especially if you are a mushroom lover like me!

• 1/2 package Firm Tofu (Cut into strips)

• 1 Cup Canned Bamboo Shoot Strips (About 1/2 a can)

• 3 Tbsp Cornstarch Slurry

  • 3 Tbsp Cornstarch mixed with 3 Tbsp Water

• 3 Eggs (Lightly beaten)

1. Make a simple chicken stock. In a stock pot, thoroughly brown all sides of the chicken thighs. Toss in the ginger and sauté until it is fragrant (about 5 - 10 minutes). Pour in about 5 quarts of water. Bring the pot up to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 2 - 4 hours. Add more water as necessary to keep the water level approximately the same. After the stock has been made, strain it twice through a cheese cloth to get a nice, clean stock. Set aside.

2. In a soup pot, brown the pork. Then add in the chicken stock, soy sauce, vinegar, beef stock cube (or MSG), roasted shiitake mushrooms, and salt. Put the Thai chilis and peppercorns in a tea bag or spice bag and then add them to the soup. That way, it can be taken out easily once the desired level of spiciness has been reached. Simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Adjust the flavors to your liking by adding more salt or vinegar or even a bit of sugar. The soy sauce is used to give the soup color and a slight hint of soy flavor. I would suggest not adding more soy sauce or it would be too overpowering.

4. Add in the bamboo shoot strips and tofu. Simmer for another 5 minutes to heat through.

5. Add in the cornstarch slurry. The end result should be a soup that is slightly thicker than water. The cornstarch slurry will thicken the soup as it cooks so add a bit at a time and wait to see how it changes the consistency. Be careful not to add too much.

6. Turn the heat down - low to medium-low. Once the soup is just barely bubbling, slowly pour in the beaten eggs around the pot to make egg ribbons. Do not stir and do not turn up the heat. Let the eggs slowly cook and come together. If you stir or the heat is too high, you’ll end up with a mess of scrambled eggs clouding your nice soup instead of egg ribbons.

7. Serve with some scallion, cilantro, and a squeeze of sesame oil.

I would like to present Eileen’s Japanese Curry! Japanese curry has always been one of my favorite food groups. It is one of my staple, go-to meals, but despite making it at least once every 2 weeks, I have always relied on those boxed curry cubes that you can get in any Asian market. Well, enough I say! I want to be able to control all of the ingredients that go into my curry, and I also want the ability to tweak the spices as I see fit. So, I have created my very own Japanese curry spice blend! Making your own curry blend also has the added advantage of being more flexible in terms of the dishes you can make. I have made a simple curry dish this time around, but oh the possibilities!

Quick note: I included ranges of percentages so you can play around with different amounts of things to achieve different tastes.

Eileen’s Japanese Curry Spice Blend

• The Base (80 - 90%)

  • 25 g Turmeric (20 - 50%)

  • 30 g Coriander (20 - 30%)

  • 15 g Cumin (5 - 25%)

  • 15 g Cardamom (5 - 15%)

• The Heat (5 - 10%)

  • 4 g Black Pepper (2 - 8%)

  • 3 g Cayenne Pepper (0.5 - 2%)

• The Sweet and Aromatic (5 - 15%)

  • 4 g Clove (3 - 5%)

  • 2 g Fennel (1 - 3%)

• “Other” Spices (These are spices that are added to give your curry distinction. This is where you can play the most. I will include the spices I used but feel free to omit anything or add in others that I have not mentioned)

  • 1 g Cinnamon

  • 1 g Allspice

  • 1 g Chinese Five Spice

  • 1 g Nutmeg

  • 2 g Coffee Powder (I used instant)

  • 2 g Cocoa Powder

  • 10 g Ginger Powder

  • 5 g Mustard Powder

  • 1 g Celery Salt

  • 1 g Paprika

  • 1 g Salt

  • 1 g Citric Acid

Japanese Curry Dish

• 1 lbs Sirloin Beef (Cubed)

• 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

• 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil

• 1 Tbsp Ginger Powder

• 2 Onions (Small and Diced)

• 4 - 6 Tbsp Eileen’s Japanese Curry Spice Blend (Depending on how strong you want the taste)

• 1 Bay Leaf

• 3 - 5 Cups Beef Stock (Can be substituted with just water)

• 1 Cup Carrot (Diced)

• 1 Cup Potato (Diced)

• 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

• 2 Tbsp AP Flour

• Slice of Dried Mango (optional)

  • I used this to add a bit of fruitiness and sweetness to my curry. Another option would be dried orange peels.

1. Marinade the sirloin beef in the soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger powder. This can be done 30 minutes before cooking or overnight.

2. Brown the beef in the pot that you are using to make curry over medium to medium-high heat.

3. Add in one of the onions, diced, and sauté for 5 minutes. The other onion will be added at a different stage later on. Doing this will give you the sweet, slowly-stewed onion taste as well as onion that has more of a bite.

4. Add in the curry spice blend and sauté for another 5 minutes. Heating the spices will make them more fragrant.

5. Add in the bay leaf, beef stock (or water), and dried mango (optional). Let it slowly simmer for 1 hour. Add in more liquid 1/2 Cup at a time as needed to make sure the pot doesn’t dry out.

6. Add in the carrot and the remaining onion and continue to simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes.

7. On the side, in a small pan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Then add in the flour to make a roux. Cook the roux until it becomes a light caramel color.

8. Add in the roux and the potatoes and continue to simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes.

9. Season the curry with salt to taste. Optionally, additional seasonings that can be used are sugar and vinegar but only use the slightest amount to lift the flavors of the curry.

Serve with rice and something pickled. My personal favorite is pickled red ginger.

As with most curries, the longer the flavors are allowed to mature and meld together, the better it will taste. The total simmering time should be 1.5 - 2 hours at least.

Nothing says Autumn more than pumpkin desserts in combination with all of those wonderful warming spices that heats you all the way from your belly to your cheeks. I purposefully made the sponge of this cake less sweet so it can pair well with all of the sugar surrounding it, including the buttercream frosting. This is also served with a black sesame seed praline that adds a bit more sweetness, nuttiness, and crunchiness. Homemade marshmallow fondant pumpkins are used as a finishing touch.

Chai Spice Mix

• 10 g Cardamom

• 10 g Allspice

• 20 g Cinnamon

• 5 g Cloves

• 30 g Ginger

• 10 g Nutmeg

• 5 g White Pepper

Pumpkin Cake Mix

• 170 g Unsalted Butter (softened)

• 100 - 150 g Granulated Sugar

• 100 g Brown Sugar

• 3 Eggs

• 10 g Vanilla Extract

• 400 g Pumpkin Purée

• 60 g Vegetable Oil

• 384 g AP Flour

  • Alternatively: 256 g Cake Flour + 128 g AP Flour

• 10 g Baking Powder

• 5 g Baking Soda

• 20 g Chai Spice Mix

• 250 g Whole Milk

• 1 - 2 g Salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Cream the butter and sugars together until smooth and fluffy. Add in the sugars a portion at a time and take your time to thoroughly whisk them together.

3. Add in the eggs one at a time. Fully incorporate one before adding in another.

4. Whisk in the pumpkin purée, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil until fully combined.

5. Change to using a spatula.

6. Mix the flours, chai spice mix, baking powder, baking soda together in a separate bowl. This is your dry mix.

7. Add half of the dry mix and half of the whole milk to the batter. Fold until fully incorporated.

8. Add in the rest of the dry mix and whole milk. Fold until fully incorporated.

9. Grease a 9” bundt cake tin.

10. Scoop the batter into the tin. Gently work it so it fills all of the details around the tin. Lightly tap the tin on the counter once the tin is filled.

11. Bake for 55 - 60 minutes.

12. Let it cool completely before decorating and serving.

Buttercream Frosting

• 250 g Unsalted Butter (softened)

• 240 g Confectioners Sugar

• 6 g Vanilla Extract

• 30 g Heavy Cream

1. Whisk together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Use the cream to loosen the mix to the desired consistency for piping and/or decorating.

Black Sesame Seed Praline

• 125 g Granulated Sugar

• 125 g Brown Sugar

• 125 g Water

• 100 g Black Sesame Seeds

1. Combine the sugars and water in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil.

2. Add in the sesame seeds.

3. Wait for all of the water to evaporate and for the sugar to reach a temp of 320 - 330°F to reach the candy stage.

4. Pour out the mixture into your desired shape on a silicone mat and let it cool/set.

Just one of these massive buns can make for a hearty meal! The filling is one of my favorite traditional Taiwanese dishes. What could be better? Served with crispy oven baked chicken skin and flash fried basil leaves, this is a savory and sweet treat that is chock full of fragrant Thai basil!

A quick note: I debated for quite some time whether the measurements for the filling should be in weight or volume since traditionally this dish calls for one part soy sauce, one part rice wine, and one part sesame oil (but what does “one part” mean???). I ultimately decided that volume was the right answer so the measurements will be in cups.

Three Cup Chicken Filling

• 1 lbs Chicken Thigh (Boneless and Skinless)

  • If there is skin, then remove the skin. Place the skin on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper. Put another sheet of parchment on top and weigh it down with another baking tray. Bake in the oven at 350°F for 50 minutes to get super crispy chicken skin.

• 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce

• 1/4 Cup Rice Wine

• 1/4 Cup Sesame Oil

• 1/4 Cup Honey

• 1 bunch Thai Basil

• 10 cloves Garlic

• 4 Scallions

• 1 inch piece Ginger

• 1 Tbsp Dried Chili Flakes (Use less if you don’t like things too spicy)

• 1 Tbsp Cornstarch

  • Mix with 2 Tbsp Water to make a slurry

1. Roughly dice the chicken thigh. Then marinade the chicken thigh in soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, ginger, and baking powder overnight.

2. Separate the leaves of the Thai basil and reserve to be used later. Keep the stems.

3. Chop the scallions and separate the green part from the whiter part. Reserve the greener part to be used later.

4. Finely mince the garlic and ginger.

5. Put a sauté pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, put in 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil.

6. Toss the Thai basil stems into the pan and sauté for 1 - 2 minutes. Take out the basil stems. Then add in the whiter part of the scallion, ginger, and garlic and sauté until fragrant (4 - 5 minutes).

7. Add in the chicken thigh and cook until the meat is nicely colored.

8. Add in the soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, honey, and chili flakes. Let the sauce reduce a little.

9. Then add in the cornstarch slurry a bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Since this while be used as a filled, the sauce should be a bit thicker than it normally would be if you were just eating this as a dish by itself.

10. Turn off the heat and toss in the Thai basil leaves and the green parts of the scallions.

11. Let it cool and then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours to overnight before using it as bao filling.

Bao Dough

• 150 g AP Flour

• 110 - 120 g Whole Milk (This depends on the texture of the dough. The dough should be soft but not sticky)

• 30 g Milk Powder (Optional: I like the added bit of sweetness and richness but this can be omitted)

• 3 g Baking Powder

• 5 - 7 g Active Dry Yeast

• 30 g Sugar

• 9 g Oil

1. Combine all ingredients and knead until smooth.

2. Immediately divide the dough in half, shape, and fill.

3. Leave to prove for 50 - 60 minutes. The buns should increase in size. Also, use the dimple test by gently poking the side of the bun. If the indent immediately springs back, then it is not done proving. If the indent remains, then it is done.

4. Steam for 25 minutes from non-boiling to boiling water.

Whenever I go into any Asian bakery, I am always tempted by their version of the hot dog bun. Unfortunately, more often than not, I walk away disappointed. The hot dogs used are never really great in terms of quality. They lack flavor and texture. The surrounding buns are nice and fluffy but don’t really have much going for it besides a bit of sweetness. Usually, bakeries try to compensate for all this by adding all sorts of toppings that I think just get in the way. So here is my answer to all that! A bun that is flavorful all on its own and better quality sausages!

Quick tip: Measure the weight of your mixing bowl while it is empty. After the first proof, measure the bowl with the dough inside and then subtract the weight of the mixing bowl. This is an easy way to get the weight of the dough and to divide it into equal portions.

• 2 Small Yellow Onions (or one medium to large onion)

  • Finely minced.

  • Slowly caramelize in a pan over medium heat and let it cool completely.

• 55 g Parsley (about one bunch with stems trimmed)

  • Roughly chopped.

• 150 g + 4 g Heavy Cream (4 g will be for the egg wash)

• 230 g Whole Milk

• 2 Eggs (one for the dough and one for the egg wash)

• 90 g Sugar

• 15 g Active Dry Yeast (2 packets)

• 570 g Bread Flour

• 10 g Sea Salt

• 3 packages of Charcutnuvo Organic Hot Links - Made with Beef

  • Put the sausages in a 400°F oven for 15 - 20 minutes to crisp up the outside. Rotate about half way through. Let them cool completely.

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the onions, parsley, heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, yeast, flour, and salt. Put the ingredients in the bowl in that order.

2. Knead the dough for about 20 minutes or until smooth. The dough should be silky and not sticky. If the dough is sticky, dust with a little bit of flour.

3. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough prove for 50 minutes or until it has grown to about 1.5x its original size.

4. After 50 minutes, knock the air out of the dough and divide it into 12 equal portions. Make a cupping shape with your hand and spin the dough on the work surface until a nice ball is formed.

5. For each of the dough balls, flatten into a rough rectangular shape. Then make 4 slanted cuts on either side of the rectangle, being sure to leave space in the middle that is about the width of your sausage. Think Christmas tree. Lay each strand over one another to make a braided shape.

6. Place the shaped hot dog buns on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Cover the buns with a damp towel and leave to prove for another 50 minutes. Check the prove by using the dimple test. Poke one of the buns. If there is an indent that doesn’t immediately spring back, then it is done proving.

7. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

8. Brush each bun with an egg wash that is made by beating one egg with a little bit of heavy cream. Coat the buns evenly, including the sides.

9. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.

10. Then raise the oven temperature to 400°F for 2 -3 minutes to deepen with color of the buns.

11. Let it cool on a rack for 5 minutes before eating. (Though I love these buns straight out of the oven too!)

Jiggly, fluffy goodness. This dessert is perfect for people who want dessert but don’t want anything too heavy or sweet. Serve this slightly tangy cake along with a bit of fruit and it is a super refreshing treat!

Preheat oven to 395°F.

• 250 g Cream Cheese

• 6 Eggs (separate the yolks from the whites)

• 140 g Sugar (split in half)

  • 70 g for the cream cheese batter

  • 70 g for the meringue

• 1 g Citric Acid

  • Add to the sugar for the meringue

• 60 g Unsalted Butter

• 90 g Whole Milk (about 100 mL)

• 6 g Vanilla Extract

• 60 g Cake Flour

• 20 g Cornstarch

1. Put the cream cheese in a heat-safe bowl and place over a pot with simmering water (a bain-marie). Whisk the cream cheese until smooth.

2. Whisk the yolks into the cream cheese. Whisk one or two at a time and fully incorporate it before adding the next.

3. Add 70 g sugar and the vanilla extract to the cream cheese batter and whisk until fully combined.

4. Place the milk and the unsalted butter in a microwave-safe container and microwave for 50 seconds. Add the warmed milk and butter mixture to the cream cheese batter and continue whisking.

5. Take the bowl off the bain-marie.

6. Sift in the cake flour and the cornstarch and fold gently until combined.

7. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Then incorporate the remaining 70 g sugar and the citric acid 1/3 at a time until the meringue is glossy and is holding soft peaks. (If the meringue is too stiff, it will be difficult to incorporate into the batter.)

8. Gently fold the meringue into the batter 1/3 at a time. Be careful not to knock too much air out of the meringue.

9. Take and 8” cake tin and line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the sides. Do not use a springform tin here.

10. Pour the batter into the cake tin. Gently tap the tin on the counter to even out the batter. Then place the tin on the bottom-most rack of your oven in a bain-marie.

11. Bake at 395°F for 20 minutes. At this point, do not open the oven door at all until the correct time has arrived.

12. After 20 minutes, turn the oven temperature to 285°F and wait another 35 minutes.

13. After 35 minutes, turn off the oven and wait another 30 minutes.

14. After 30 minutes, take out the bain-marie but leave the cake in the oven with the oven door held open slightly with a wooden spoon for another 30 minutes.

15. Take the cake out and let it cool before serving.

中秋節快樂!! A Mid-Autumn Festival traditional Chinese treat! I usually only eat this once a year specifically for this holiday because, as delicious as this is, most store bought mooncakes are WAY too sweet for me. That’s why this year I decided to make my own! There were two main things I wanted to address that I always wanted in my mooncakes. First, make them less sweet. Second, make the outer crust thicker so it doesn’t feel like I am just eating a block of filling. This recipe is perfect for me and I hope you will enjoy it as well!

Matcha Mung Bean Paste (Filling #1)

• 150 g Mung Bean

• 15 g Matcha Powder

• 100 g Coffee Creamer (powder)

  • Can be substituted with 200 mL of milk but I did not want to add extra liquid to the recipe.

• 120 g Sugar

  • This might seem like a lot of sugar but this amount is needed to balance the matcha powder.

• 1 g Salt

• 1 g Citric Acid

• 50 g Unsalted Butter

  • The paste needs some type of oil. It is best to use an oil with a high melting point. When I used vegetable oil, the filling completely lost its shape while baking and the design of the mooncake was ruined. Some alternative oils are lard/pork fat or coconut oil. Which oil you use just depends on your own taste.

• 15 g Glutinous Rice Flour

1. Soak the mung beans overnight. Then put the mung beans in a sauce pan and just cover them with water. Simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until very tender.

2. Drain the mung beans but reserve about 1/2 Cup (about one ladle full) of the water to mix with the glutinous rice flour.

3. Using a food processor, purée the mung beans until very smooth and then return to the sauce pan. Turn on the stove to medium heat.

4. Add the matcha powder, coffee creamer, sugar, salt, and citric acid to the purée. To avoid spatter and making too much of a mess, continuously stir the purée with a wooden spoon until to mixture dries out and can hold its shape on the spoon.

5. After the purée has dried out sufficiently, add in the butter and stir until combined.

6. Then mix the reserved water with the glutinous rice flour to make a slurry. Then add the slurry to the purée and continue stirring until the paste holds together.

7. Let the paste cool and then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

Azuki Red Bean Paste (Filling #2)

• 150 g Azuki Red Beans

• 80 g Sugar

  • Less sugar is needed here because the red beans have a natural sweetness.

• 1 g Citric Acid

• 1 - 2 drops Red Food Coloring

  • This is optional. The natural puree is pretty gray in color so I added the food coloring to make it look more appetizing.

• 40 g Pork Fat

  • Again, you need to use an oil with a higher melting point. I liked that the pork fat added a bit of savoriness to the red bean paste but 50 g of unsalted butter can also be used here.

• 15 g Glutinous Rice Flour

1. Soak the red beans overnight. Then put the red beans in a sauce pan and cover them with water that reaches about 1” higher. Simmer the red beans for 1 - 2 hours until very tender. You might need to add a bit of water from time to time to make sure the pot doesn’t dry out.

2. Drain the red beans but reserve about 1/2 Cup (about one ladle full) of the water to mix with the glutinous rice flour.

3. Using a food processor, purée the red beans until very smooth and then return to the sauce pan. Turn on the stove to medium heat.

4. Add the sugar, citric acid, and red food coloring to the purée. To avoid spatter and making too much of a mess, continuously stir the purée with a wooden spoon until to mixture dries out and can hold its shape on the spoon.

5. After the purée has dried out sufficiently, add in the pork fat and stir until combined.

6. Then mix the reserved water with the glutinous rice flour to make a slurry. Then add the slurry to the purée and continue stirring until the paste holds together.

7. Let the paste cool and then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

Mooncake (This amount of dough will make approximately 4 regular sized mooncakes)

• 3 g Sodium Cabornate

  • This can be made at home by taking baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), spreading about 1 Cup of baking soda out on a sheet pan, and baking it for an hour at 250°F. The resulting powder will be much lighter and very basic so do not handle it with bare hands. Store in a tightly sealed glass jar.

• 15 g Water

• 70 g Honey

• 30 g Vegetable Oil

• 120 g Bread Flour

  • Traditionally, cake flour is used but I like that bread flour gives me more structure.

• 1 Egg Yolk (beaten until smooth)

  • This will be for the egg wash. For the best results, just use the egg yolk. Do not mix it with water. If just using the yolk is too difficult, just use one whole egg that is beaten until smooth.

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the sodium carbonate and water and mixed well. Not all of the powder will dissolve. Just mix as thoroughly as you can.

2. Then add in the honey, vegetable oil, and bread flour. Mix/fold the dough together thoroughly.

3. Put the dough in an airtight container and let it rest for 2 hours.

4. After 2 hours, divide the dough into 60 g portions and form them into balls. Cover them with plastic to prevent them from drying out.

5. Take the completely chilled filling of your choice and weigh out 55 g portions and form them into balls. Cover them with plastic to prevent them from drying out.

   • My preferred dough to filling ratio is 60 g dough to 55 g filling. This will give you a slightly thicker crust in the end. If you prefer the more traditional thinner crust, use 60 - 70 g of filling.

6. Take a dough ball and flatten into a disc in the palm of your hand. Then take a filling ball and slowly shape the dough around the filling until it is fully encased.

7. Dust the outside with flour and press in the mooncake mold of your choice.

8. After shaping, spray the mooncakes with a little bit of water and place them in an airtight container. Rest the mooncakes in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

9. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400°F.

10. After 30 minutes and once the oven is at temperature, place the mooncakes on a baking sheet. Spray a little water over them right before they go into the oven.

11. Bake the mooncakes at 400°F for 7 minutes.

12. Prepare the egg wash in the meantime.

13. After 7 minutes, take out the mooncakes and turn the oven temperature down to 375°F.

14. Let the mooncakes cool for about 1 minute. Then lightly coat the entire mooncake in the egg wash. Use a soft brush and be very gentle as to not damage the design on top.

15. Put the mooncakes back into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

16. Take the mooncakes out and let them cool for 30 minutes.

17. Then put them in an airtight container and leave them in room temperature for 2 - 3 days. This step is called Hui You (回油) or “returning oil” and is necessary for the crust to absorb some of the oil from the filling. This will make the crust soft and its color will deepen slightly.

18. Afterward, the mooncakes can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or be stored in the freezer for 3 months.

Pork Filling (This part is not as precise because it really depends on individual taste):

• 0.5 lbs Boneless Pork Chop

  • Other recipes often include cuts of meat that are not readily available to me. I used this cut because I prefer my pork to be a bit leaner but there is still a little bit of fat attached to the side.

  • Season with sugar and salt and let it marinade in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

  • There are two ways you can go about cooking the pork. If you are using a cut of pork that is thicker, I would roast it in the oven on a rack at 475 degree Fahrenheit for 50 minutes. The easier option would be to just strongly sear both sides of the pork chop in a frying pan.

  • Dice the pork into small cubes.

• Sauce

  • 1/2 Onion (Finely Diced)

  • 1/2 Green Pepper (Finely Diced)

  • 1/2 Red Pepper (Finely Diced)

  • 1 Tbsp Garlic (Minced)

  • 2 tsp Five Spice

  • 2 tsp White Pepper

  • 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

  • 3 Tbsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine

  • 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce

  • 4 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce

  • 3 Tbsp Honey

  • 4 Tbsp Gochujang (Korean Red Pepper Paste)

  • 1 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean Red Pepper Flakes)

Sauté the onion, green pepper, red pepper, and garlic until they turn a bit jam-like. This is done on a lower temperature for a longer period of time. Combine the rest of the ingredients. Cook until it thickens and turns into a glaze. Add the diced pork to the sauce and fold to thoroughly combine.

Dough:

• 150 g AP Flour

• 110 - 120 g Milk (This depends on the texture of the dough. The dough should be soft but not sticky)

• 3 g Baking Powder

• 3 - 4 g Active Dry Yeast

• 30 g Sugar

• 9 g Oil

Combine all ingredients and knead until smooth. Immediately cut, shape, and fill. Leave to prove 10 - 20 minutes. The buns should increase in size. Also, use the dimple test. Gently poke the bun. If the indent immediately springs back, it is not done proving. If the indent remains, then it is done. Steam 18 minutes from non-boiling to boiling water.

Crisp buttery pastry? Thinly sliced tart apples? Sweet and light frangipane? Served with apple sage toffee? Yes, please! Sometimes you just have to get fancy!

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Roll out the pastry to be about 1 inch larger in diameter than to your tart tin. Roll out the pastry on some parchment paper to make the transfer into the tart tin a little easier. Lay the pastry into the tart tin. Don’t worry too much about tears. The pastry can be patched together. The pastry will shrink a bit while baking so be sure to build up the sides to be taller than the tart tin. Dock the bottom of the pastry. Chill the pastry in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm it up again. Then cover with a layer of parchment paper and pour in the pie-weight of your choosing.

Blind bake for 20 minutes.

Let the pastry to cool completely before filling the tart with a layer of frangipane and adding the apple topping.

Bake the tart for 55 minutes. If the apples are catching too quickly, cover the top of the tart with some aluminum foil. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes.

Let the tart cool on a cooling rack completely before removing the tart from the tin.

Glaze the top with an apple and sage toffee.

Short Crust Pastry

• 200 g AP Flour

• 125 g Unsalted Butter (Cold)

• 55 g Sugar

• Pinch of Salt

• 2 - 4 Tbsp Cold Water

I used a food processor here since it is quick and easy but this can also just be done with just a mixing bowl and your fingers. Dealers choice. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the food processor. Cut the butter into cubes and add them to the food processor. Pulse on and off until the mixture resembles chunky sand. You want the butter in small bits but not for the mixture to turn smooth. Pour in the cold water a tablespoon at a time. Pulse on and off just until the mixture starts to clump and form together. Pour the mixture out on a work surface and form together into a disc. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight.

Frangipane

This recipe makes one batch of frangipane but you may need to make another batch depending on the size of your tart tin. I could only get a hold of an 11” tart tin so I had to make 1 and 1/2 batches in order to fill the tart.

• 80 g Almond Flour

• 60 g Unsalted Butter

• 50 g Sugar

• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

• 1 Egg

• 20 g AP Flour

I used a food processor for this one as well. I tried making it with a hand mixer and a mixing bowl but when it came time to cream together the butter and sugar, I just made a huge mess. Butter and sugar absolutely everywhere!

Cream the butter and sugar together in the food processor until smooth and light. Scrap down the sides of the food processor every so often. Then add the almond flour and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined. Then add in the egg and pulse on and off until thoroughly combined. Then add in the AP flour and pulse on and off until just combined. Don’t over process at this step. You want to keep things light and fluffy.

Frangipane can be made in advanced and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Just take it out of the refrigerator about 10 minutes before you need to fill the tart to allow it to thaw a little.

Apple Topping

• 4 Honeycrisp Apples

• 4 Granny Smith Apples

• 1/2 tsp Cardamom

• Pinch of Nutmeg

• 2 tsp Citric Acid

• 1/4 Cup Sugar

• 1/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar

Cut the apples into halves and core them. Then use a mandolin to quickly create thin slices. Keep the sliced apples together so they can be fanned out and keep that petal-like shape. Place in a deep tray. Combine the cardamom, nutmeg, sugars, and citric acid together and sprinkle over the sliced apples. Gently rub around the apples, careful to keep the slices together. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

I chose Honeycrisps and Granny Smiths because they are both pretty tart and serves as a nice contrast to all the sweetness. Honeycrisps are also my favorite. The amount of apples you will need to prepare will again depend on the size of your tart tin and the size of the apples. For my 11” tart tin, 8 apples was just enough to fill the top of the tart but the apples were also a little small. I would suggest preparing more than you think you need.

Because I wanted to create this flower pattern, I couldn’t cook the apples to draw out some of its moisture. I decided that macerating the apples would achieve the same effect. The added bit of citric acid also keeps the apples from discoloring so this can be prepared the night before and stored in the refrigerator. Be sure to reserve the liquid that comes out of the apples. It can be used to make the Apple Sage Toffee that I serve along side this tart.

Apple Sage Toffee

• 150 g Sugar

• 100 g Water

• Apple Water (Reserved from the macerated apple slices)

• 1 sprig Sage

• 60 g Butter

Combine the sugar, water, apple water, and sage in a sauce pan. Simmer on medium to medium high heat until the liquid is evaporated and the sugar is a golden color. Remove the sage sprig. Take off the heat and stir in the butter. Gently brush over the tart for a shiny glaze. Pour the rest on a silpat and wait for it to set. Once hardened, place the toffee in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to break it into pieces.

A little taste of Spring no matter the time of year!

Pasta Dough

• 200 g Bread Flour

• 100 g Semolina Flour

• 3 Eggs + 3 Egg Yolks (6 egg yolk in total)

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

• pinch of salt

Combine the flours, eggs, olive oil, and salt and knead until smooth. Wrap in plastic and let the dough rest for 2 hours. Divide the dough into quarters. Roll out a quarter at a time, keeping the remaining dough wrapped up so it doesn’t dry out. The dough should be thin enough that you can somewhat see through it. If you are using a Marcato pasta machine, roll it to #8 in terms of thinness.

Sweet Pea & Ricotta Filling

• 10 oz Frozen Sweet Peas (1 package)

• 1/3 Cup Ricotta

• 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

• Mint Leaves (to taste)

• Salt (to taste)

• Pepper (to taste)

Pour the frozen sweet peas into a sautée pan with 1/4 Cup Water on medium-high heat for 4 - 5 minutes or until the peas are warmed through. Be careful to not overcook the peas in order to preserve the bright green color. Overcooked peas will turn yellow and dull.

Combine the peas, ricotta, butter, mint, salt, and pepper in a food processor until the consistency is smooth.

For convenience, put the filling into a piping bag and pipe out equally spaced out dollops on your pasta sheet. Fold the pasta sheet in half, pinching up on the sides, and pressing down in the front.

Cook the agnolotti in boiling water for about 2 minutes before tossing in the mint butter sauce.

Top with crispy lardons.

Mint Butter Sauce

• 1/2 bulb Shallot (sliced thinly)

• 2 stems Mint (including leaves)

• Lemon Juice (from 1/2 a lemon)

• 8 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (1 stick, cubed)

• 1 Tbsp AP Flour

• 1/2 Cup Pasta Water (reserved from cooking the agnolotti)

Place a pan on medium-low heat. Melt 1 Tbsp butter and add in shallots and mint. Sweat the shallots until translucent. Then add in 1 Tbsp flour to make a roux. This will help thicken the sauce. Once the roux is a light brown color, add in the pasta water. Make sure to constantly stir the sauce. Take out the mint stems. Then add in the remaining butter one tablespoon at a time. Make sure that the first tablespoon is completely incorporated and emulsified before adding in the next tablespoon. After the butter is all incorporated, squeeze in the juice of half of a lemon to finish the sauce.

Sometimes you just have to go wild and experiment a little. This dish uses sweet corn as the base for the pasta sauce and is paired with delicious snow crab meat. The handmade pasta is an odd combination of ramen noodles and tagliatelle but is rolled much thinner to better match the delicate flavors. Then the whole thing is topped with a lime panko gremolata to add that zesty kick and a bit of crunchy texture.

Pasta Dough

• 300 g Bread Flour

• 1/2 Tbsp Sodium Carbonate

  • This can be made at home by spreading about 1 Cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) on a baking sheet and baking it for an hour at 250°F. The resulting powder will be much lighter and very basic so do not handle it with bare hands. Store in a tightly sealed glass jar.

  • Dissolve in 1/4 Cup warm water.

• 1 Egg

• 8 Egg Yolks

• 1 tsp Salt

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1. Combine the flour, sodium carbonate, egg, egg yolks, salt, and olive oil in a large mixing bowl.

2. Knead the dough for 10 - 15 minutes or until smooth. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle a little bit of flour until you reach the desired texture. The dough should by silky but not sticky.

3. Let the dough rest for at least an hour.

4. Work with 1/8 of the dough at a time so the pasta doesn’t become too long and unwieldy.

5. Roll the dough to the thinnest setting (approximately 0.8mm).

6. Cut into desired shape and hang to dry.

Creamy Corn Sauce

• 200 mL White Wine Vinegar

• 2 tsp Peppercorns

• 1 Bay Leaf

• 1 packet Frozen Sweet Corn ( 10 oz or 283 g)

• 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

• 1/2 Yellow Onion (small)

• 5 Tbsp Heavy Cream

• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

• 1 tsp Mustard (preferably the grainy kind)

• 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

• Lime Juice (half of a lime)

• Pinch of Salt

• 1/2 Cup Crab Meat

1. Put the white wine vinegar, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a sauce pan and simmer on medium heat. Let the vinegar reduce by half. Then strain out the peppercorns and bay leaf. You should be left with a little less than 1/4 cup of liquid.

2. Microwave the packet of sweet corn for 3 minutes to just take the chill off.

3. Finely dice the onion and sauté in butter until it becomes fragrant and translucent.

4. Put the sweet corn, sautéed onion, and heavy cream in a food processor and pulse until you have a very smooth purée.

5. Work the corn purée through a sieve to remove the more fibrous stuff and to have a much smoother sauce.

6. Add in 1 Tbsp of the reduced vinegar.

7. Add in the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, cayenne pepper, and lime juice.

8. Season with a pinch of salt (to taste).

9. Once the pasta is cooked, add in about 4 - 6 Tbsp of pasta water to thin out the sauce a little bit.

10. Then gently fold in the crab meat. Reserve the biggest piece of crab to be placed on top of the pasta.

Lime Panko Gremolata

• 1 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs

• 4 cloves Garlic (finely minced)

• 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

• Lime Zest (one whole lime)

• Lime Juice (half of a lime)

• Salt

• Pepper

• Pinch of Citric Acid

• 1/2 Cup Italian Parsley (chopped)

1. In a pan, melt the butter on medium to medium-low heat and add in the garlic. Sauté until fragrant.

2. Add in the panko, lime zest, lime juice, salt, pepper, and citric acid.

3. Sauté until the panko is nice golden brown and crunchy.

4. Take the panko off the heat and toss in the parsley.

5. Set aside to be used as a flavorful topping.

Bringing It All Together

• 1/2 Cup Asparagus (roughly chopped)

• 1/2 Red Onion (small)

  • Can be substituted for shallots

• 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

• 1 bunch Dried Handmade Pasta

  • Boil for only 1 - 2 minutes. The pasta is very thin and will cook almost immediately.

• Salt

• Pepper

1. In a sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat.

2. Add in the red onion and sauté until translucent.

3. Add in the asparagus and the cooked handmade pasta.

4. Add in the creamy corn sauce and toss to coat every noodle.

5. Add in pasta water as needed.

6. Spiral the pasta on a plate and ladle for creamy corn sauce around the pasta. Top with more crab meat and the panko gremolata to complete!

To quote Paul Hollywood, “The banana’s not strong enough!”

Not enough desserts out there really have that strong banana flavor that I sometimes crave so I decided to just make one myself. Fluffier in texture and complemented with caramel, this is a spin on your everyday banana bread. This cake is also chock-full of macadamia nuts and walnuts to balance the sweetness and to add that extra bit of crunch.

Preheat the oven to 330° F.

Prepare an 8 x 8 inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. The parchment paper should come up higher than the sides of the baking pan to help guide the cake as it is rising.

• 4 Ripe Bananas (Generally, the longer you wait the better. Don’t be afraid of the skin turning very brown.)

  • Mash the bananas in a sauce pan on medium heat for 15 minutes in order to concentrate the flavor.

  • Transfer to a mixing bowl.

• 1 Cup Sugar (Turned into Caramel)

  • Mix sugar with 1/2 Cup Water in a sauce pan.

  • Simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved and turns a deep golden brown.

  • Remove the pan from the heat and mix in 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream and 2 Tbsp Butter.

• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter (Equivalent to 8 Tbsp)

• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

• 1/2 tsp Salt

• 2 Cup Cake Flour

• 2 tsp Baking Powder

• 6 Eggs

  • Separate the yolks and the egg whites.

  • Whip the egg whites into soft peaks while slowly incorporated 4 Tbsp of Sugar for added stability to make a meringue.

Whisk together the banana mash, caramel, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, salt, cake flour, and baking powder together until thoroughly combined.

Then whisk in the egg yolks one at a time making sure that each is incorporated before adding the next. Then gently fold in the meringue until the batter is fluffy and smooth. Be careful not to knock too much of the air out of the meringue.

• 1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts

• 1/2 Cup Chopped Macadamia Nuts

Dust the chopped nuts in a little bit of flour to help with suspension. That way the nuts don’t end up all at the bottom of the cake. Gently fold the nuts into the batter. If desired, reserve some nuts to sprinkle on top of the cake.

Pour the batter into the baking pan, place the baking pan on the center rack of the oven, and bake for 65 - 75 minutes. Afterward, turn off the heat and leave the cake in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Then take out the baking pan and place on a wire rack to let it cool completely before removing the cake.