snow fungus soup with pears, red jujubes, and goji berries

Tonic soups according to Traditional Chinese Medicine restore balance to the body, because, the Chinese believe, the consumption of certain foods have medicinal value. Therefore, this soup is said to be good for the kidneys, heart, lungs, and blood flow. It is lightly sweetened from rock sugar so it can be an excellent dessert following a Chinese meal. In fact, Snow Fungus Soup is also enjoyed at Chinese New Year. This soup is traditionally served warm or at room temperature in the belief that for one’s body to be in balance one should never consume food that is too hot or too cold. But I buck tradition when I say snow fungus soup is also fabulous chilled.

Snow fungus is sold dried in Chinese groceries and Asian supermarkets. It may be white or yellow and has the color and texture of a loofah sponge. Snow fungus must be soaked overnight or for at least 8 hours before cooking. It is sold in clumps so don’t worry if the clump weighs slightly more than 25g. Snow fungus is tasteless but it has properties that are like a thickener. It is a bit chewy, like al dente pasta. It takes on the flavours of whatever it is cooked with.

Snow Fungus Soup with Pears, Red Jujubes, and Goji Berries (adapted from The Woks of Life)

25g-30g dried snow fungus

10 cups filtered water

300-400g Asian pears (2 medium)

40-50g rock sugar or to taste

15g dried goji berries

20g dried red jujubes or Chinese red dates

The night before, soak the dried snow fungus in a large bowl covered with a cloth or a plate. The dried fungus should soak at least 8 hours. The next day, drain the snow fungus. Then, using a pair of kitchen shears, trim the tough yellow roots at the bottom and discard. Shred the soft fronds into slightly smaller pieces. Set aside.

Prepare a large pan with 10 cups filtered water. Add the rehydrated snow fungus and boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

While the snow fungus is simmering, peel and core the pears. Chop into 1-inch chunks and add to the pot. Simmer for another 30 minutes.

Add the sugar, goji berries, and jujubes. Simmer for 45-60 minutes or until the liquid becomes syrupy and amber-coloured. Depending on your stove, this might also take up to 2 hours. Let cool slightly or to room temperature. Serve at once. Or if you prefer, top the soup with crushed ice and sprinkle with coconut flower sugar.

shakshuka with feta and Italian sausage

Shakshuka is comfort food. Originally from North Africa, the dish migrated to Israel where it became so popular it is practically the national dish. I was introduced to it while watching Somebody Feed Phil Tel Aviv on Netflix, when our intrepid host, Phil himself, sampled the dish at Dr. Shakshuka, said to be the best shakshuka in the city. The dish can be vegan; just leave out the cheese and the sausage, as it lends itself to endless variations—there is even a green shakshuka. I think it is hearty enough without the feta and the sausage, but I had the feta and I live with an unreformed carnivore. So here we are.

Shakshuka with Feta and Italian Sausage

Yield: 4 servings

2 teaspoons good olive oil

1 small red onion, sliced into thin rings

2 large cloves garlic, minced

5 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 small sweet red bell pepper

250g Italian sausage, without the casings, crumbled

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

pepper flakes, to taste

Seasoning salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup feta, crumbled

4 eggs

Thick slices of crusty bread to mop up the sauce and the runny yolks

Heat the oil over medium heat in a 10-inch oven ready skillet, preferably non-stick. Lightly saute the onion until softened. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Cook the sausage until no longer pink. Add the peppers and tomatoes and cook until wilted. Add about 1/3 to 1/2 cup water to the skillet. Cook down the tomatoes and peppers until the sauce is thickened and reduces slightly, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F.

Add the cumin and paprika. Add pepper flakes and seasoning salt to taste. Add black pepper. Stir and taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary. It’s best to under-salt the dish as the feta is salty. Remove from heat and stir in the feta.

Make 4 shallow depressions in the top of the shakshuka and break one egg into each well. If you break a yolk, no matter. Put the skillet in the oven and be sure to remove the silicone handle guard if your skillet has one. Bake until the eggs are just set, about 7-10 minutes, until the egg whites turn opaque but the yolks are still runny. The eggs are best when they are just cooked. If you like the yolks hard cooked, bake the shakshuka longer but the dish tastes sublime when the egg yolks run into the hot tomato sauce as you dip a slice of bread into them.

ribeye roast beef dinner Jamaican style

Everyone thinks, as soon as they see or hear something is Jamaican style, that it is spicy and hot. This is not that dish.

Once in a while, I make a dish that doesn’t have a written recipe. This is that dish.

My mother made a roast beef that is marinated in onion, scallions, and Pickapeppa Sauce. When I was growing up in Jamaica, there was only one Pickapeppa Sauce, a dark brown condiment that was salty and sour, redolent of black pepper, allspice and cinnamon. We shook it out of the bottle onto fried eggs and especially bully beef, tinned corned beef fried with tomatoes, onions, and scotch bonnet peppers.

Mom used Pickapeppa mainly to season her roast beef. Poured thickly into a Chinese soup bowl with chopped onions and scallions, this marinade was rubbed into the fat and the crevices of the beef. Tiny slits cut into the fat allowed more of the marinade to get inside the beef, and a chopstick was used to poke the onions and scallions deeper inside. Mom cooked by instinct; she knew when the beef was done and would take it out of the pot or the oven when she judged the roast had had enough. Me, I roast the “beast” in a 350˚F/175˚C oven resting on thick slabs of onion to caramelize and soak up the juices. I also use a thermometer. When it reaches 135˚F, it’s time to take it out of the oven and tent it with foil to rest for 10 minutes. A 1kg ribeye roast takes 1 1/2 hours from start to finish.

Of course, a roast needs a gravy. I used Ina Garten’s recipe for Homemade Gravy. Substitute beef broth for chicken, and do not forget to add the roast beef pan juices to the pot. Because there weren’t that much juices in the pan, I also added a little soy sauce for color and umami flavour to the gravy.

I try to make sure the colour green is included. I love greens. Baby bok choy is so tender and crisp, even when stir-fried. Trimmed of any yellowed leaves and leaves that don’t look appetizing (they have holes and tears), baby bok choy make a simple vegetable dish that can be whipped up with minced garlic and ginger and a spoonful of miso for flavour. No salt needed. It’s light and crisp-tender, a perfect complement to the Pickapeppa Sauce in the roast beef. Which, by the way, you can serve with more Pickapeppa on the side.

I insist on more greens so I put spinach in the mashed potatoes. Called colcannon these mashed potatoes are so creamy and chunky, but you can whip them for a smoother texture. I cut back 1/4 cup on the milk because it seemed to be too much liquid. I would add the milk gradually until you reach the desired consistency. If you add a bit too much liquid, as I did, it won’t matter because mashed potatoes also thicken slightly when they sit. If it isn’t creamy enough to your liking, you can also add more milk later. I substituted chives for the leeks, and I decided the butter and scallion toppings were really optional.

The really interesting things on the plate, to me, are the condiments. I was watching Somebody Feed Phil Rio de Janeiro when Phil bit into a roast beef sandwich with pineapple salsa. I thought, what a delicious idea! Now most people who are traditionalists, believe that a sweet condiment is better with pork and lamb, while beef deserves something savoury. Well, I offer both. First there is the sweet and sour (and spicy) pineapple-tomato-chili salsa, and a salty sour peppery limoon (lime chutney) that is my Chinese grandmother’s recipe.

To make the salsa, cut up 3 cups fresh sweet pineapple into tiny chunks, add 2 cups chopped fresh tomato to taste, and about 2 tablespoons minced cilantro or parsley. Pour 1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil in a small mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons vinegar (apple cider, jasmine rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar). Pour over the fruit and toss. Add salt and pepper to taste. I added a teaspoon of chopped Thai chili to make the salsa interesting. You can add more to taste or simply leave it out. Then I pulsed the whole thing in the food processor until it was a chunky paste. It had too much liquid, I decided, so I strained the salsa.

The last condiment is the lime chutney or limoon. It’s not Chinese so I think my grandmother must have learned it from her Jamaican neighbours. Quarter six limes and put them in a glass jar with a lid. Cover the limes generously with salt and close the lid. Keep in a cool place until the limes turn brown and “spring water” as we say in Jamaica. Remove the limes and wash off the excess salt. Process the limes with onions and scotch bonnet peppers to taste to make a fine paste. Serve limoon with grilled meat or fish. It goes well with curry lamb or goat too.