A big congratulations to my sister on the new addition to her beautiful family. I was so honored to have been asked to take these pictures for them.
Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons (Passover)
Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons from A Thought For Food #recipe #dessert #passover
I'm kind of embarrassed to admit how nervous I was to make macaroons. Like, I was petrified. There's no rational reason for it. I just was. I've been a coconut lover my whole life and have always had a strong affinity for these treats. My first were devoured as a child, attending pre-school at the synagogue. Over Passover, our Oreos were replaced with macaroons. A canister bearing the Manischewitz logo made its way around the room, our little fingers groping inside. I immediately fell in love with the chewy cookie and how little specks of coconut hid in my mouth for me to snack on throughout the afternoon.
I got it in my head that making macaroons had to be complicated. There was no way that you could whip something like this up quickly and have it actually turn out ok. But it's true... they're ridiculously easy and just as wonderful as I remember.
Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons from A Thought For Food #recipe #dessert #passover
Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons
(adapted from the recipe from Gourmet via Epicurious)
Makes 4 macaroons
Ingredients
Butter for preparing baking sheet
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 oz chocolate, chopped into a few pieces
1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter
Directions
1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 300°F. Butter a baking sheet, then line with foil and lightly butter foil.
2. Stir together egg white, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and a pinch of salt until combined, then stir in coconut. Divide coconut mixture into fourths, then drop in 4 mounds (about 2 inches apart) onto baking sheet.
3. Bake until tops are pale golden in spots, 15 to 20 minutes, then carefully lift foil with cookies from baking sheet and transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes. Peel macaroons from foil.
4. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter. Let chocolate mixture cool before dipping the tops of the macaroons.
5. Transfer the macaroons to a parchment-lined platter or baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened.
Shrimp Shu Mai
Shrimp Shu Mai from A Thought For Food #recipe #seafood
Shrimp Shu Mai from A Thought For Food #recipe #seafood
Shrimp Shu Mai from A Thought For Food #recipe #seafood
I dabbed heaping spoonfuls of gingery shrimp mixture in the center of wonton wrappers and clumsily attempted to fold them into little dumplings. Not a single one met my expectations. Eric watched as I struggled and provided silent emotional support. Often, he stays out of my way when I'm cooking, afraid that I might jump down his throat if he makes the smallest comment. I definitely get territorial and oddly sensitive when I'm in the kitchen. It's my personal space and I'm usually not in the mood to have someone around to tell me I'm doing something wrong (which I almost always am).
It'd been my plan to make shu mai for quite some time. Growing up, I was a voracious eater, never turning down food, even if it was something a bit out of the ordinary. But my connection to cooking stems from a single moment from my childhood. It was over summer break and my sister was away at camp, leaving me with my parents for a full month. They filled each day with trips to the pool, art projects, and film festivals (one year we watched all of the James Bond films). One afternoon, they suggested that we make a recipe from a Chinese cookbook tucked on the shelf. We all agreed on shrimp shu mai and went to the store for the ingredients. Back at home, I peeled (heads and all) and deveined each one, a process that for a 9 year old took a lot longer than it should have. We chopped the scallion, herbs, garlic, and ginger by hand. A wok was placed on the stove, a bit of water added to the bottom, and was then covered with a bamboo steamer. A feast followed, the result of all the hard work.
It's been almost 20 years since I last made shu mai, and I thought it was about time to try it again. The process was almost exactly how I had remembered. Except this time, I was joined by my husband. I didn't want to push him aside, I wanted this to be something we experienced together. We stood there and made a few. I looked up at him and realized, at that moment, a new memory had been created.
Shrimp Shu Mai from A Thought For Food #recipe #seafood
Shrimp Shu Mai
Ingredients
1/2 lb fresh, uncooked white shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp ginger, peeled and minced
3 scallions, green parts only, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro (or parsley if you're not a cilantro fan), chopped
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2 tbsps soy sauce
1/2 tbsp distilled white vinegar
Directions
1. Place half the shrimp in the food processor and pulse until it becomes a thick paste.
2. Add the remaining shrimp in the food processor, along with the garlic, ginger, scallions, and cilantro, and pulse five times to chop the shrimp, but make sure the remaining shrimp does not turn into a paste.
3. Place the wonton wrapper on a work surface. Using your finger, slightly moisten the edges of the wrapper with water. Spoon a heaping teaspoon into the center of the wrapper. Squeeze the edges of the wrapper up and around the shrimp mixture, making sure to leave some of the mixture exposed on top.
4. Set a steamer basket in a large pot (one that contains a top) over an inch of water. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
5. Gently place the shu mai in the steamer in a single layer. Cover the pot and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the mixture turns pinkish.
6. Meanwhile, mix together the soy sauce and rice vinegar in a mixing bowl. Red chili peppers can be added as well if desired.
7. Transfer shu mai to a serving platter and eat immediately (they're never as good when they get cool). Serve with the dipping sauce.
8. Cook the remaining dumplings and enjoy!
