Shopping, shopping, shopping to turn up an ex-pat kitchen

[ChiFlyer]

Cajun Chicken, Sausage, and White Bean Stew.

I have had this recipe in my inventory of recipes to try for a few years, but never gotten around to trying it. I decided to give it a go tonight and I was very pleased with the results.

https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/chicken-sausage-and-white-bean-stew-3645485

I have several comments about the changes I made to the recipe.

• When this recipe was written (more than a few years back) by the much esteemed Emeril Lagasse, it was generally assumed that cooking beans from scratch produced a better product than using canned beans. This is no longer true. Canned beans are in fact the superior product and reduce the complexity of many recipes by a considerable amount. This was born out in an America's Test Kitchen (ATK) analysis. When in the US I would use the ATK recommended Goya product, until the CEO started using the platform of his company to make political statements that I found to be abhorrent. I switched over to Bush Beans at that time.
• Anyway here in Thailand Goya is not available, but Bush is. This recipe was written to use from scratch beans, so I had to change it around to use canned beans. This presents several problems. The cooking times are much reduced and one has to calculate what are appropriate times. I reduced the time from when the broth is added to 30 minutes. I added the beans (rinsed) and browned chicken at that point and continued for another 30 minutes. At that point I temp checked the chicken and it was at 175F. I had used chicken thighs and that is the correct temp. Dumb luck on my part.
• The recipe as written would be too much food for my household. I cut everything in half and only used 4 chicken thighs
• A tip is to make sure the oil is hot before browning the chicken, otherwise you will be doing a saute. You want the browning (Maillard) effect.

The TGF and myself very much enjoyed this recipe and I will be making it again.

A few pics

Coming off of the stove

Plated

[ChiFlyer]

Carne Asada with Tex/Mex Rice and Beans

I have a few recipes for Skirt Steak cooked Latin style, but they are all a thing of the past after making this Carne Asada recipe for the first time.

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a39427643/carne-asada-recipe/

The flavor was just amazing. A few comments about the recipe.

• I did not see Sour Oranges anywhere in the Bang Lamung area, so I went with the recommended substitute of a Navel Orange and 2 instead of 1 limes. If you do this, be aware that lime juice is more acidic than other citrus fruits. Therefore do not marinade for a very long time. I went with 8 hours and that was about right. Also, remember to turn the marinade bag every couple of hours to get an even distribution of the marinade on the Skirt Steak.
• The Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce is an essential ingredient for the marinade. I have never seen these as being available in the Pattaya area. I was in the US in the Fall of 2021 and I brought several small cans back with me. If one has a friend coming over to LOS, one might ask them to bring with a few cans. The cans are quite small and they keep forever.
• Skirt Steak is a hit or miss buy in the Pattaya area grocery store venues. I buy mine from Sloan's just so that there is no drama on shopping day. The quality is very good. The price not so much. Also Sloane's goes out of stock on things frequently, so you want to make your frozen buy a few weeks ahead of time.

https://www.sloanes.co.th/product/skirt/

A few pics.

Cooking on The Grill pan

Ready to serve

The side dish of Rice and Beans is also worth talking about IMO. Here is the base recipe.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ingrid-hoffmann/black-beans-and-rice-recipe-1938568

There are a lot of options that one could use to augment this recipe. If one were to make the full volumes as stated there would be enough food for a very large family. I reduce everything by 50%. I also cut back the cumin to less than 1 tsp and add 1/2 tsp of Cayenne Pepper.

A few more pics.

Rice and Beans

Fully Plated

 

[ChiFlyer]

Szechuan Shrimp

Ready for some heat?

This post is a combination of two recipes. When I saw the recipe for the Szechuan Shrimp, I did not like at all the way the author had dumbed down the Szechuan Sauce. In all fairness she said that was her objective. Me I like the heat and IMO it is a main thing that is part of any Szechuan recipe. I decided to make my own Szechuan Sauce and then go back to the stir fry recipe to finish things.

Some general notes:

• I think that both recipes call for Sherry. This is an often used substitute for Chinese Shao Xing Rice Wine (in the US where the rice wine used to be a little difficult to find). Shao Zing is the preferred way to go and not at all difficult to find in Thailand. I bought mine from Lazada. At this time I think it has become easier to find in the US as well.

I used this recipe for the Szechuan Sauce

https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/szechuan-sauce/

Notes on the sauce.

• I pretty much followed the full recipe including the Chinese 5 Spice and the szechuan peppercorns.
• I also added the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce at the end of preparing the sauce. I used the 1 TBSP amount because more corn starch is called for in the stir fry.
• I also added 1 TBSP of Sambal Olek (Red Chili Paste).
• I did not add the garlic or ginger because they were called for in the stir fry as well. I really prefer using fresh Garlic and Ginger as opposed to bottled powders that the sauce recipe author suggested.
• I cut back the Red Pepper Flakes to 1/2 tsp again because these are also called for in the stir fry.
• The sauce recipe can be made ahead of time. I made mine in the early afternoon for use that night.
• Personally, I thought that the sauce turned out fantastic. The GF agreed.

Here is the recipe for the stir fry. As usual with a stir fry have everything prepared to go into the pot before you start cooking. Stir fries are usually done at a very high heat. Ain't no time available for prep work once one begins cooking.

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/szechuan-shrimp

This was my first try at this recipe. It turned out really well. The GF loved it.

A few pics

Ready to serve

Plated

 

Edited October 8, 2022 by ChiFlyer

[Srirachapocalypse]

Great thread I'm getting up to date with, as I'll have a kitchenette available when I get in on Friday.

[ChiFlyer]

On 11/10/2022 at 06:15, Srirachapocalypse said:

Great thread I'm getting up to date with, as I'll have a kitchenette available when I get in on Friday.

Thank you.

Many of the Western recipes require an oven, which can be difficult to find in a rental unit. Also stocking up on spices for a shorter term visit can be a challenge as well.

Good luck.

 

[ChiFlyer]

Chicken Shawarma

I never made this before. I used to like buying Shawarma when I was in the PI. Yes, I know that it is basically a Mid-Eastern food, but there were several places in both Manila and Angeles that made versions that I liked. The GF of the time was fond of them as well.

I noticed this recipe and decided to give it a try.

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a26092675/best-chicken-shawarma-recipe/

I pretty much followed the recipe with a few exceptions.

• I did a 5 hour marinade of the chicken. 8 would have been better, but my lazy ass rolled out of bed a little behind schedule today.
• I cut back the cumin by 50% as the GF does not like the smell.
• I served the various toppings (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, yogurt sauce) separately so that each person could add on what and how much that they wanted.
• I was not happy with the pitas that were available at the store. They were too small and too thick. The taste was good, but they could not wrap up the works without making a mess. I may buy larger tortillas next time.

Both the GF and myself really liked the overall taste.

A few pics

Chicken and Onions (after I had grabbed a little)

 

Toppings

 

A Plated Pita

[ChiFlyer]

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (Garlic and Oil) - A Gian's Imitation

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio is a common Italian pasta recipe. It is tasty and can be on the table in less than an hour. There are countless versions for this recipe. I have always been a fan of the version served at Gian's in Jomtien, so I decided to imitate that one. Did I succeed? Not entirely, but what I came up with was pretty good.

This is another combination of things recipe, with the first part being my recipe for some of the ingredients and then combining that with a standing recipe.

With regard to the my ingredients recipe.

• Heat 1 TBSP of good Olive Oil (I use Colavita EVOO) over high heat in a 12" saute pan.
• Place 3 Italian Sausage links (quality matters - I used the Jet Italian product) in the heated oil. Turn down heat to medium-high and break up the sausages with a wooden spoon. One needs to remove the casings from the sausages before adding to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring often and then remove the sausages with a slotted spoon to a plate.
• Deglaze the fond with about 1/4 cup of good White Wine.
• Add another 1 TBSP of good EVOO to the pan and heat again. Add 2 small eggplants that had previously been peeled and then diced into about 1/4" cubes to the pan. Lightly salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring often and then remove again with a slotted spoon to the same plate with the sausage.

At this time switch over to a trusted Aglio e Olio recipe. I decided to go with one from Ina Garten. I cut everything in this recipe by 50%, or it would have been too much food.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/spaghetti-aglio-e-olio-recipe-2043225

As the recipe says -> DO NOT BURN the Garlic. If one burns the garlic-oil, throw it in the toilet and start over again with the garlic-oil step. You want to get it just toasting. When you add the pasta water to the garlic sauce be careful not to burn yourself with splashes from the oil and water combination. Obviously, one should not be at high-heat at this point. Also after the pasta water is added, one should deglaze the pan again. Deglazing a pan adds taste as long as the fond is not burned.

Basically, I have said several times -> stir frequently, do not burn. This requires attention, so like a stir fry have all of the ingredients prepared before one starts cooking. 

As a side note I used Pecorino Romano instead of Parmesan. It is a little more robust IMO and I thought that worked better for this recipe.

A few pics

Ready to serve

Plated

 

The GF very much liked this one and even took a small plate over to a Thai neighbor who was working her way through some BF problems.

 

 

Edited November 5, 2022 by ChiFlyer

[ChiFlyer]

Shrimp Etouffee - Cajun Food

I am not a huge fan of Cajun Food, but I do like it from time to time. I have never made this recipe before, but decided to give it a try. It turned out well.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/shrimp-etouffee-3645379

Although his name is not all over the main recipe, I am pretty sure that this is an Emeril Lagasse recipe. There are 3 recipes embedded within the link (the main Etoufee recipe, the creole seasoning, and the shrimp stock). The later two are definitely from Emeril.

I use Emeril's "Bayou Blast" for both my Cajun and blackening recipes. As a warning, only make about 1/3rd of the amounts listed in the recipe. Due to the Onion Powder it tends to cake quickly.    

Keep your eye on the pan for the raux step. It is easy to go from almost ready to trashed in a hurry. Do not be using high heat for the raux step despite a temptation to get things done.

Oh, and once again, despite this not being a high heat recipe, things happen quickly so have your ingredients ready up until one hits the 45 minute simmer step.

Anyway a few pics.

Ready to serve

 

Plated

 

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by ChiFlyer

[Noel Brahimi]

This is what I cooked last weekend in my new acquistion.

How to cook corned beef in a slow cooker?

Ingredients:

•  a 3-4 lb corned beef brisket
•  a package of corned beef seasoning (usually included with the brisket)
•  2-3 cups of water or beef broth
•  optional: vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and onions for added flavor

Instructions:

•  Place the corned beef brisket in the slow cooker.
•  Sprinkle the seasoning packet over the brisket.
•  Add 2-3 cups of water or beef broth to the slow cooker.
•  Add any optional vegetables to the slow cooker.
•  Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, or until the corned beef is tender.
•  Remove the corned beef from the slow cooker and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Noel Brahimi

[ChiFlyer]

On 23/01/2023 at 16:53, Noel Brahimi said:

This is what I cooked last weekend in my new acquistion.

 

How to cook corned beef in a slow cooker?

Ingredients:

•  a 3-4 lb corned beef brisket
•  a package of corned beef seasoning (usually included with the brisket)
•  2-3 cups of water or beef broth
•  optional: vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and onions for added flavor

Instructions:

•  Place the corned beef brisket in the slow cooker.
•  Sprinkle the seasoning packet over the brisket.
•  Add 2-3 cups of water or beef broth to the slow cooker.
•  Add any optional vegetables to the slow cooker.
•  Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, or until the corned beef is tender.
•  Remove the corned beef from the slow cooker and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Interesting.

I made corned beef once where I did the pickling process of the brisket myself. That is a 10 to 14 day process. There is a post somewhere in this thread describing how I went about it. The main thing that I was after was corned beef Reuben sandwiches and those turned out reasonably well. Still the quality of the sandwiches was not at a level that I was willing to repeat the process. The refrigerator space management alone was maddening.

Given that you purchased already pickled corned beef (I think), I am assuming that you are not in Thailand at this time. I looked for already pickled corned beef here and the results were disappointing.

[ChiFlyer]

Spaghetti alla Nearno

I have not posted in this thread for a while now, as I pretty much ran out of things to talk about. I did something new tonight and it turned out really well.

Spaghetti alla Nerano

I came across this recipe while surfing some foodie sites. It sounded interesting, so I decided to give it a try.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/285205/that-zucchini-spaghetti-stanley-tucci-loves-spaghetti-alla-nerano/

This is almost veg. The cheese makes it not entirely veg.

The Mrs. and I both really liked it. It is easy to make, somewhat unusual, and very tasty. I fry the zucchini the night before and as the recipe says I put it in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. If you decide to try this recipe, I suggest that you watch the video that is in the link.

You need good cheeses to make this work. I buy mine from either online at Jet Italian or in store at Stilo Italiano on Jomtien Second Road near soi 5 (only open Noon to 5 PM).

A few pics.

Ready to serve

 

Plated

 

[Srirachapocalypse]

Not nearly as fancy as most of what gets posted here, but special circumstances. I had dental surgery on Friday and cannot chew anything, and after a steady diet of scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, applesauce, porridge and Ensure I wanted something with actual flavor last night.

A trip to Villa Market for things I didn't have, and using the new Tefal Mini Food Processor from Central Festival, I made a mechanical soft dinner; that while totally lacking in texture and posessed of questionable eye appeal, had wonderful flavors, and was a welcome respite from the weekend of bland.

Entree was Creole Seasoned Minced Beef, sides were Pureed Asparagus and Shallots (I was a bit heavy on the creme fraich hence the bit of seepage and the color not being a deeper green), Pureed Beetroot with Balsamic Vinegar and Horseradish (the star of the show which turned out terrific), and Pureed Calabaza en Tacha (Mexican Candied Pumpkin).

[Tosserred]

On 06/11/2022 at 10:04, ChiFlyer said:

Shrimp Etouffee - Cajun FooD

 

 

@ChiFlyer What did your Thai Lady (Wife?) think of the Etouffee flavors?

Edited August 15, 2023 by Tosserred

[ChiFlyer]

34 minutes ago, Tosserred said:

@ChiFlyer What did your Thai Lady (Wife?) think of the Etouffee flavors?

Yes, Thai lady wife, and in this case the marriage is recent. She had been my VLLLLT for 7 years.

She likes my Cajun dishes. This one in particular she liked a lot, probably because it is kung (shrimp) based with some phet (heat).

She enjoys it when we can do some cooking together. With regard to this dish she helps shop for the kung (she spots freshness better than I do), trims said kung, chops the garlic, etc. I take the easy road of bringing it all together.

Edited August 15, 2023 by ChiFlyer

[ChiFlyer]

Pesto Corn Salad and Shrimp

I noticed this recipe while browsing a foodie sight. Decided to make it tonight. Both the Mrs and I enjoyed it.

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pesto-corn-salad-with-shrimp/

Lots of pluses here:

• Easy to make - only about an hour to get it to the table
• Healthy
• Tastes great

There were a few things in the recipe that I decided to change and also will change a few more the next time I make this dish:

• The Mrs grows basil in our garden. I use that to make my own pesto. I added one clove of garlic to the food processor. I used a mini food processor, as it did not seem worth the effort of bringing out the big one.
• The recipe calls for boiling the corn. Bad move. I steam mine for about 8 minutes, much better taste.
• The recipe calls for grilling the shrimp on a full outside grill. Waste of time both for setup and cleanup. I used a stove-top grill pan and that worked great.
• Also threading the shrimp on skewers needs attention. There are many methods for this. I suggest doing a Google search and deciding what works best for you. The basic problem is eliminating/reducing the spin. I double pierce each shrimp and pack them closely. Not perfect, but ok for me.
• Next time I make this, I will roast the cherry tomatoes. This is a much better taste. Following is an Ina Garten recipe for roasting tomatoes.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-cherry-tomatoes-recipe-1940316

Obviously, one can skip the basil in Ina's recipe as that what the pesto sauce is doing. I will also consider reducing Ina's cooking time as I do not want the tomatoes getting too mushy within the salad.

The Salad

 

The Shrimp

 

Plated

 

 

[ChiFlyer]

I am looking to make Beef Bourguignon in a few weeks. I like using frozen pearl onions as part of this dish. I can not find them anywhere in the overall Bang Lamung area, including the food shipping services from Bangkok. If anyone has seen them, please let me know. I see plenty of offerings for pickled pearl onions, but these totally suck in a Beef Bourguignon recipe.

The recipe is still pretty good without the pearl onions.

Thanks - CF

[socrates]

26 minutes ago, ChiFlyer said:

I am looking to make Beef Bourguignon in a few weeks. I like using frozen pearl onions as part of this dish. I can not find them anywhere in the overall Bang Lamung area, including the food shipping services from Bangkok. If anyone has seen them, please let me know. I see plenty of offerings for pickled pearl onions, but these totally suck in a Beef Bourguignon recipe.

The recipe is still pretty good without the pearl onions.

Thanks - CF

I cannot really help other than to suggest talking to Bruno the Chef/Owner of Alter Ego in the Kiss Food/Beefeaters arcade he gets all sorts of rare produce shipped in - he may be able to assist....

 

[Thomaz73]

10 hours ago, ChiFlyer said:

looking to make Beef Bourguignon

Hope you'll do a write up on it. Love this dish and actually prefer it without the pearl onions

[ChiFlyer]

12 hours ago, Thomaz73 said:

Hope you'll do a write up on it. Love this dish and actually prefer it without the pearl onions

Actually - there is already a write up in the thread about this dish. It is a recipe preparation worth reading IMO. It was the first time, I think, that I used this version of the recipe and I did some things wrong. A BM (talung66 who looks to no longer be active) who used to be a professional cook (said he hates to cook now), pointed out some improvements. There are several exchanges between he and I that I think have value. One of the more important IMO is his suggestion to soak the beef in the red wine before cooking the beef. I will be re-reading all of this prior to the coming preparation.

I use Ina Garten's recipe, which is much simpler and easier to follow than some other versions.

https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/beef-bourguignon-ina-garten-39-on-gourmets-list-of-women-game-changers/

I am toying with the idea of making my own frozen pearl onions. Red pearl onions, as opposed to the Italian white ones, are available in Thailand. I use them as shallots. I would have to:

• Trim said onions
• Blanche them for a few minutes
• Peel the onions after they cool
• Freeze for at least a few days. This is important as the freezing process makes the onions more tender.

This would be a couple of hours effort as the onions are a pain to trim and peel. I am also not sure if the gain would be worth the pain.

Yeah, I will post an update when I do this in a few weeks. Feels bad to admit this, but I am obsessive to the point that I plan out the meal schedule (I only cook 3 nights a week) about 1 month out.  

 

[ChiFlyer]

On 03/08/2020 at 06:45, expatdude said:

I've never found wide egg noodles. I've substituted farfalle (sp?) noodles, which are bow tie shaped and as close as I've found. Fettuccine is a poor third.

Well this may be the slowest response ever, but I have switched to using De Cecco Tagliatelle in place of American Egg Noodles. Taste is very similar.

I would avoid using Pappardelle. They are just to carb heavy for my tastes.

[Barak]

Awesome thread, I really enjoyed reading your posts and your pictures were mouth-watering.

[ChiFlyer]

17 hours ago, Barak said:

Awesome thread, I really enjoyed reading your posts and your pictures were mouth-watering.

Thank you.

[ChiFlyer]

20 hours ago, ChiFlyer said:

.....  A BM (talung66 who looks to no longer be active) who used to be a professional cook (said he hates to cook now), pointed out some improvements. There are several exchanges between he and I that I think have value. One of the more important IMO is his suggestion to soak the beef in the red wine before cooking the beef. I will be re-reading all of this prior to the coming preparation.

......

 

@talung66 - looks like my comment about talung66 no longer being a BM is incorrect. I must have typed something incorrectly, when I went to reference him.

Hey talung66 - talking a little about you with regard to our exchanges regarding preparing Beef Bourguignon. Just so you know.

[ChiFlyer]

On 10/09/2020 at 17:11, expatdude said:

.......

On another front, I have good news for you. I've found some good Italian sausage (I believe) at a reasonable price, plus much, much more.

There has been a ravioli factory in Pattaya forever putting out a good product, but they didn't have a retail outlet until just now. You can get great frozen raviolis, fresh pastas, Italian cheeses and salamis and other cured meats, canned goods from Italy, on and on, AND they make their own Italian sausage at 330 a kilo, very fair price in my opinion. It's only available frozen and they have 3 types. It's a must visit in my opinion.

It's on Sukhumvit between Makro and Lotus, closer to Lotus. Just before it there's a Harry's bakery where I picked up a loaf of sourdough to eat my salami with--they sliced the salami for me (Milano 670? baht a kilo) very thinly and on the sourdough it was heaven, no mayo nothing else needed. 200 gram min on sliced meats. They have a facebook page and website but it's quite confusing.

....

Another contender for a long overdue reply record here. Also, a shout out to @expatdude who was helpful in getting this thread going.

I have chosen to go the expensive route for my Italian Sausage and Salami orders. The  quality of what I receive IMO makes up for the increased cost. I do not order a lot of these, so I am willing to pay up a little for quality.

I am talking about Jet Italian in Bangkok. Yep, there is a higher delivery fee, usually about 500 THB. Their Italian Sausages are superior to anything else that I have found in Bang Lamung. Following is their Salami and Sausages link.

https://jetitaliandeli.com/collections/salami

I am a fan of their Calabraise Italian Sausage. I have tried several of their other sausages and never been disappointed. Their cheeses are also very good with a wide selection.

Do keep an eye on their delivery partner (SGM ? sp). I have had items marked as delivered that were not. I bitched about this to the main Jet Italian office and things got straightened away. I have an unusual delivery address and maybe that was why there were some initial delivery problems. I hope I did not get anybody fired, but -> "do your effin job". I do not mean that as a complaint against Thai delivery services in general, as most of them are excellent.

 

 

[ChiFlyer]

Nduja Pasta

https://thisitaliankitchen.com/nduja-pasta/

Gian's restaurant in Jomtien has an excellent version of this dish on their menu. I noticed this recipe on the net and decided to give it a try. My version is not as good as the one served at Gian's, but for a first attempt both the Mrs and myself thought it was pretty decent.

This is an easy to do recipe (outside of the shopping). One can have it on the table in less than an hour.

The key ingredient here is Nduja Sausage.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/'Nduja

As the wiki says this is a spicy spreadable sausage. I doubt one can find it in any store in the Bang Lamung area, but it is available through Jet Italian in Bangkok. They will deliver.

https://jetitaliandeli.com/products/ndjua-calabrese-200g?_pos=1&_sid=96b81f0d7&_ss=r

Like I said, we liked the dish and I will be serving it again, probably in a few weeks as I have enough sausage left over to make another dinner.

A few notes:

• I cut back the ingredients by about 30%, so as not to have too much food. I still ended up with two servings of leftovers to microwave during the week.
• Be careful with the Nduja. It has a strong taste and too much might not be a good idea. Also, the sausage makes the sauce a little spicy.
• The recipe calls for crushed tomatoes. Villa market does not carry these. I buy diced tomatoes and process those in a small food processor for about 1 minute. IMO - a small food processor is a great addition to your kitchen tools. They cost a little more than 1000 THB, as I recall. One does not have to drag out a big food processor and clean that beast up afterwards. I have one of those as well and use it for more serious work.
• The recipe calls for Rigatoni pasta. That is one of the 8 pasta varieties that I keep on hand and it is also the least used of my pasta varieties. If one has Pene on hand that would work as well. The sauce does require a more formidable tube pasta. 
• The recipe calls for a dusting of Parm. I used Pecorino Romana instead, as it IMO has a more robust flavor to go with the other stronger tastes in this recipe.
• The basil shown in the pics is garden fresh. Makes a difference.

Nuff bs - a few pics

Ready to serve

 

Plated