The craving for Zenzai rises....reciprocal to the rapid plunge on our thermometers....

As the temperature plunge below zero Celsius, I am reminded of how much I miss the homemade Zenzai I had at a Japanese-run restaurant when I last visited LA, a rare find as most restaurants would attempt the usual short cuts with pre-made azuki or red bean paste or powder. One spoonful of this homemade Zenzai was enough to immerse yourself in the determination of the chef in bring out every essences of these tiny red coloured beans. The texture from the warm mochi heightens the experience as it lively dances between your molars.


Zenzai, or red bean soup refers to a number of traditional Asian soups, all made with azuki beans. In Cantonese cuisine, red bean soup is one of the most popular dessert. The love of this dear sweet bean among the Cantonese has led to continuous experiments in kitchen closets, generating an exponential explosion of ideas that put spins on this famed sweet soup that is traditionally served hot after dinner. From pairing the soup with the Chinese sesame glutinous rice dumplings to a fusing it with the Chinese tofu dessert, from coagulating it with coconut milk into a mousse-like pudding to freezing the leftover soup into icicles, we have just begun to explore the potentials of this bean.


Among all the various and fasinating trends, it has always been the traditional steamy one, with its comforting texture and luring scent, that captures my heart. Different from the Japanese cousin, the textural component of the Cantonese red bean soup comes from the cooking method for the beans. It takes a skillful master to simmer the selected red beans to perfection, where they remain visually intact, but melt into sandy sweetness with just the slightest pressure at the tip of your tongue.


The aroma from the red beans is an essential component, but if it is not accompanied with the luscious scent from the sun dried Chinese tangerine peels, this sweet soup would not be complete. Similar to some red wines, the magical scent of this peel increases in complexity and character as well as intensity with age and attention. I was often caught taking whiffs of my father's thirty years old batch, I have yet to try making red bean soup with it. I could hardly imagine the experience of taking a sip of the version from a famed Hong Kong restaurant, where their master secretly slip in a piece or two of their highly treasure tangerine peels, at an age of over 100 years!

Earl Grey....from an obsession to a devotion....

For those who knows me well, or not, it is certainly not a secret when it comes to my obsession towards this tea, the Earl Grey, which in my opinion has the most provocative aroma that excites both our olfactory and gustatory neurons. An unexplainable but a magical bond, very much like love....it is what makes us homosapiens unique, whether the other end of the bond is a person, or just a simple cup of tea.


This obsession became a devotion, as I marry my passion in pastry making, with this loose leaf of heaven. The versatility of teas are visioned in variety of cuisines; from the infused Oolong duck served at a Chinese banquet, to an addictive homemade potato chips sprinkled with smoky black tea, the idea of tea as an ingredient has just begun to unfold.


Named after the 2nd Earl Grey, British Prime Minister in the 1830s and author of the Reform Bill of 1832, Earl Grey tea is a tea blend with a distinctive flavour and aroma derived from the addition of oil extracted from the rind of the bergamot orange, a fragrant citrus fruit typical of Southeast Asia and grown commercially in Italy. Traditionally the term "Earl Grey" was applied only to black tea; however, today the term is used for other teas that contain oil of bergamot, or a bergamot flavour.


Apart from the original blend, many boutique tea stores sell a similar blend with added rose petals known as French Earl Grey. My choice has always been the Earl Grey with Blue Flowers, which has an elegant touch.

Ohh the "London Fog", not the well famed brand for their trench coats in defense against the Britain's foggy weather, is a combination of Earl Grey, steamed milk and vanilla syrup, the perfect combination of the calcium rich dairy and this fragrant tea.


With the "Earl Grey Macaron" as the debut of the Earl Grey series, there are many more luring recipes yet to come, as my tribute towards this love of mine....

http://lafleuraucacao.blogspot.com/2009/10/earl-grey-macaronnew-creation-for.html

Recipe: Canh chua....the Vietnamese Sweet, Hot and Sour Soup!

As I unwind myself after work on a Saturday afternoon, I gazed towards my window and watched as the snow began to flutter down and lightened the concrete pavement. My stomach began to crave for a bowl of Canh chua, or the Vietnamese Sweet, Hot and Sour Soup. It is the perfect remedy for the cure of any stuffy noses!


A bowl of Canh Chua is a sour soup indigenous to the Mekong River region of southern Vietnam. It is typically made with fish from the Mekong River, pineapple, tomatoes, and bean sprouts, in a tamarind-flavoured broth. It is garnished with the lemony-scented herb ngò ôm (Limnophila aromatica), caramelized garlic, and chopped scallions, coriander), and Thai basil.

The sour taste of the soup comes from tamarind, which is mixed with a small amount of hot water; the mixture is then stirred for a few moments to release all the essence, and the liquid is then added to the soup.

Since this urge for the soup was spontaneous, I had to improvise with the lack of tamarind and fresh Thai hot chili, and replaced it with fresh lime juice and Tabasco.


~ Vietnamese Canh Chua with Shrimp ~


8 ounces medium shrimp

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup, plus 1 teaspoon nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1 stalks fresh lemongrass, white bulb crushed and sliced

8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

4 tablespoons sugar

Juice of 1 fresh lime

1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple chunks

1 bunch Chinese celery, cut into 2 inches in length (can be replaced with regular celery, but I just love the flavour and the intense aroma of Chinese celery)

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Freshly ground black pepper to taste


1. Toss the shrimp with 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, chopped garlic, and pepper. Let stand for 30 minutes.

2. Heat the oil in a 3 quart sauté pan. Add the shallots and lemon grass and sauté briefly without browning. Add the tomato and sugar and cook over medium heat until slightly soft. Add the pineapple and celery and cook stirring for about two minutes.

3. Add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the lime juice, salt, and the remaining 1/4 cup fish sauce. Turn heat down, and simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Stir in bean sprouts and the shrimp. Cook for about 30 seconds, than remove from the heat and allow to sit for about 30 seconds to 1 minute more, or until the shrimp is cooked through. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp here.

4. Add cilantro, black pepper and Tabasco, and serve.


Bon Appetit!

Recipe: Szechuan Spiced Israeli Couscous with Infused with Dried Shiitake

~ Szechuan Spiced Israeli Couscous with Infused with Dried Shiitake ~

An Asian flavoured vegan side dish that is a perfect addition to your holiday dinner!


This recipe is an extension to a previous post:
Where a mushroom intertwines with the receptor of the fifth taste....the Dried Shiitake and the Mysterious Umami....


1 lb package Israeli couscous
1 lb Frozen edamame, defrosted and shelled
8-10 Dried whole shiitake
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tbs Toasted sesame seeds
2 tbs Toasted sesame seed oil
2-3 tbs Szechuan Chili Bean Paste
1 tsp Szechuan peppercorn
3-4 tbs Chinese chicken marinate sauce (this is vegan)
1 tsp sugar
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
12 Sweet roasted chestnut - optional


1. Soak the dried shiitake in ~1 cup of COLD water overnight, then squeeze out the excess liquid from the reconstituted shiitake and slice thinly.
*Do not discard the soaking liquid, as it has now been infused with the luring aroma of the shiitake, which will be used later to cook the Israeli couscous
2. In a 4-6 quart pot, heat the Toasted sesame seed oil in medium heat, then add the sliced shiitake.
3. Stir fry the shiitake till lightly golden, then add the smashed garlic and Szechuan peppercorn and toast them until golden.
4. Stir in the Israeli couscous and allow it to toast for 2 minutes, turn the heat to high then add the amount of liquid as instructed on the package (use the shiitake soaking liquid plus water). Cover and allow it to come to a rapid boil.
5. Reduce heat so the mixture returns to a simmer. Stir occasionally with spoon and cook until the Israeli couscous has absorbed all the cooking liquid and has become al-dente.
6. Mix in the defrosted shelled edamame and allow it to heat with couscous for 2 minutes.
7. Stir in the marinate sauce and chili bean paste and allow the couscous to absorb the sauce for about 1-2 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and stir in the toasted sesame seeds and sweet roasted chestnuts.
* I think the sweetness and the chewy texture from the luscious chestnuts give this side dish a special touch and an unique sensory experience!

Bon Appetit!