Extra Schmaltz!

 This is the style of rice pudding that mom would make us growing up. It's a great way to use that small bit of leftover rice that's too little for fried rice or whatever. It's also really, really easy to make. The secret for maximum deliciousness is to err on the side of using less rice, or to add a bit more milk and egg to compensate if you add a bit too much rice.  It's all about that cross-section of custard on top and dense sweet rice on the bottom. Ingredients 1-1.5 c. cooked white rice, but less is better 2 c. milk, or increase if you have more rice 2/3 c. sugar (part brown sugar makes it extra tasty) 1/4 c. raisins or to taste 5 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. cinnamon (honestly I just shake and eyeball this)  Preparation Grease an casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350.  Beat the eggs in a big bowl, then add literally everything else and whomp thoroughly.  Pour into the casserole dish, and cook probably about an hour or longer - it takes more tim...

Dan claims this is an original recipe, but I think it's just a variation of Pasta Fazool and Pesto Sausage Desperation . He absolutely loved it and insisted that I post it on the blog. It is indeed delicious. The basic idea is protein (could be leftover meat) + pasta + miscellaneous color/flavor agents that do not require a trip to the grocery store = dinner. 1 package pappardelle or fettuccine (long wide noodles) 1-1.5 lb chicken breast 2 medium onions 1/2 c. roasted red pepper, chopped (i.e. from a jar) 1/2 bag/block frozen spinach 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 2 glugs dry vermouth 3 Tbsp. cooking oil + a dash olive oil A few sprigs of basil and parsley from the garden, chopped OR 2 tsp. pesto 2 tsp. oregano salt and pepper 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese Boil the noodles in plenty of salted water until just tender (they will cook more in the pan). Drain, reserving 1 c. of the cooking liquid. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into cubes and toss them with...

I think I like leftover potatoes better than the first time they come around, and this is one reason why. This makes a hearty, easy meal that feeds a crowd, and even keeps vegetarians happy. It's great hot, but also good cold as a late-night snack (sort of the 17th century Taco Bell). You can get fancy and make it from raw potatoes (I recommend waxy ones like Yukon Gold), but slice them thin and allow plenty of time for them to cook through. ~2 c. cold leftover potatoes, sliced 1/2 white onion, sliced 3 Tbsp. olive oil 6-8 eggs 1 Tsp paprika (smoked paprika is extra tasty in this) 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper Optional: other leftovers Heat a large nonstick pan with the olive oil. Add the onions and cook 1-2 minutes. Add the potato slices in a single layer, and cook on medium-low until the edges start to crisp. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and add the salt, pepper, and paprika. TIP: taste the eggs to see if the salt is right--don't fear the reaper. Dump the ho...

I received a request to share my fried rice recipe, written for a kitchen beginner. There are a lot of subtleties for making awesome fried rice, which would make it a lot easier to teach in-person; this step-by-step is the next best thing. I'm going to shout a bit in this post, but listen to me if you want your rice to fulfill your every hope and dream! TWO KEY THINGS YOU MUST HAVE: LEFTOVER rice (at least one night in the fridge, ideally a few days old). If you try to make it with fresh rice it will be mushy.  A BIG-ASS non-stick pan. Don't try to be a cowboy with cast iron or some other shiz. I am serious--if you are a beginner, DO NOT PASS GO without fulfilling those requirements or you will be disappointed and frustrated and never try cooking again. For rice I recommend a long-grain Thai jasmine rice, but other types will work. If you don't have a GOOD non-stick pan, I recommend Swiss Diamond . If you are concerned about carcinogens or whatever tin-foil hat b...

What to do when you have some leftover long grain rice and you want some spice? Fried rice, Indian style. You can make it vegetarian, or add some meat or shrimp (leftovers work great). You could also mix in some peas or cooked lentils at the end. 3-4 c. leftover long-grain rice 1 jalapeno, sliced 2 tsp. whole cumin seeds 2 tsp. black mustard seeds  2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. ginger, minced 3 green onions, sliced 1 Tbsp. turmeric 1 tsp. black pepper 1 chicken boullion cube 1/2 c. boiling water 1 Tbsp. tamarind sauce 1 c. cooked meat chunks (optional) 1 tomato, diced 2 eggs  handful of cilantro, chopped salt to taste oil for cooking Heat a large nonstick pan, adding a generous amount of oil. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and heat until they begin to sizzle and pop. Add the ginger, garlic, jalapenos and the white part of the green onions and fry until lightly brown. Add the turmeric and black pepper and toss to combine. Break up the rice so it ...

In our age of searing and encrusting and caramelizing, poaching has gotten a bad rap. But I defy you to find a technique for cooking delicate items that yields a juicier, more versatile product in less time, with less mess. True poaching involves an acid such as lemon juice or wine (or so Wikipedia tells me--who knows?), but I find that's optional with this recipe. Below is the simplest approach with fewest ingredients, but feel free to experiment with adding other flavoring agents. The recipe can be scaled up but be sure to keep the chicken breasts less than 3/4" thick. 8-16 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast cold water to cover 2-3 tsp. salt 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed Ensure that all chicken breasts are less than 3/4" thick, either by pounding them or by slicing or butterflying any thick parts of the breast. Place the breasts in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Cover with cold water and add the salt and garlic. You could also add wine or lemon juice...

This recipe is actually a melding of two previous recipes: Hmong Chicken Salad and Fresh Spring Rolls . It would be hard to find something that isn't delicious in a spring roll, but this is a particularly tasty combination with a zingy, juicy flavor. I am also including the recipe for hoisin peanut sauce. This batch makes about 8 spring rolls--increase as necessary. Chicken Salad Spring Rolls 8 banh trang spring roll wrappers 4 oz. rice vermicelli noodles 2 c. Hmong Chicken Salad 4 large lettuce leaves, sliced very thin across the midrib 1 carrot, thinly julienned 3" slice of daikon, julienned Place the rice noodles in a bowl and submerge in boiling water. Let sit for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Cut the pile of noodles a few times with kitchen scissors. Fill a pie platter with warm water. Briefly wet a wrapper in the warm water and place it on a moistened plate. Place a rectangular pile of lettuce in the center of the wrapper, then put a small amoun...

Clockwise from the left: young coconut juice, rice, chicken (actually turkey) salad, ripe papaya, papaya salad. Holy blazes I'm posting a recipe! Almost hard to call this one, it's so easy. However, it's a valuable use for leftover chicken or turkey, and it's served cold or room temp, so it beats the heat. 2-3 c. leftover cooked chicken, shredded 1 handful beansprouts 4-6 green onions, sliced 1 large handful cilantro or culantro , sliced 1-3 hot chilies, sliced juice of 1-2 limes, depending on size 1 Tbsp. fish sauce 1-2 tsp. salt ~1 tsp sugar I like to heat up the chicken a little so that the salad is warm, but you can make it cold if you like. In the picture I didn't have beansprouts, and it was still delicious. Just mix all the ingredients together and adjust the salt and sugar. If it isn't moist enough, add a little broth or water. It should be salty and zingy with a dominant cilantro flavor.

Congee is rice porridge, and is the Asian equivalent to chicken soup as a home-made remedy. It's easy to digest, versatile, and comforting. You can put virtually anything in it, but usually it contains some aromatics (ginger, green onions, celery), a small amount of protein (chicken, shrimp), some seasonings (white pepper, sesame oil, soy sauce), and a LOT of water or broth. You can also add green vegetables. I find most recipes include ginger at the very least. This recipe is great when you're feeling under the weather. This is congee with ginger, smoked turkey (just for flavor, removed the bone later), bouakham nam sausage, tea eggs, tofu, and fried shallots. It's like Chinese penicillin! My rice cooker has a setting for congee, but it can easily be made on the stove. You can start with raw or cooked rice, with the latter being much faster. The consistency is a matter of preference and depends on how much liquid you add (you can always thin it out more, so start t...

Yeah, my pie pretty much owns. Hot water pastry was mentioned in this Leftover Pot-Pie recipe . Inspired by a discussion about baking ratios and receiving some leftover turkey and stock from Thanksgiving, I decided to refine the crust recipe and write it out more explicitly. This crust is more suited to hot savory pies than a regular flaky pie crust, and the hot water technique is much faster than cutting in cold butter. It's traditionally made from lard, but you can use shortening with some butter mixed in. I added a couple of tablespoons of bacon grease for flavor. 1 lb. all-purpose flour 1/2 lb. (scant) fat 1 c. half water, half milk 1 tsp. salt The ratios are essentially 2 flour: 1 fat: 1 liquid, with salt. This recipe makes 1 very large double-crust pie. The dough will be cooked first at 450 for 15 minutes and then, when filled, at 350 for 1 hour. Combine the milk, water, and fat in a saucepan and bring just to a boil. Allow to sit until the fat is fully melted. In a large bow...

So, I was looking for a way to get rid of some Thanksgiving leftovers (including some pie crust), and I hit on the idea of a pot pie. I made it in a slapdash way since I didn't have too much time for cooking, so given more time it'd be more delicious: Ingredients: Leftover turkey drumstick and wing Leftover pie crust Celery Carrots Onion Peas Bay leaves Spices 3ish garlic cloves Milk Butter Flour Wine or beer I cooked the turkey pieces in water with celery and onions (I saved the carrots for later so they wouldn't be too mushy, but still add flavor), whole garlic cloves and spices on a fairly high light till the liquid reduced and was reasonably flavorful (i.e. a halfhearted stock - approx. 1 hr). I removed the bones, retaining the meat. Then I made a roux with the flour, mixed in both milk and the broth, including all the veggies and meat, and added frozen peas. I added a bit of wine, though frankly dark beer (guiness) probably would have been better, and simmered until a ...

Stir Fried Leftover Salad in Black Bean Garlic Sauce (If I had known how delicious this was I would have taken a picture) Saute in un-flavored oil: Onion, carrot sticks, green vegetables, pre-soaked shiitake mushrooms Stir in a heaping spoon of Black Bean Garlic Sauce, combine well Add the leftover salad that didn't get dressing on it: ours was spinach, green leaf lettuce, shredded carrots, craisins, walnuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, fresh parmesan cheese. Continue to stir fry at high heat until all ingredients are cooked approximately the same amount.  Serve with rice noodles or rice. Whenever I see weird combinations like this on menus at yuppie restaurants I make rude remarks and keep looking. But, by golly, it was really, really good!