Spread the Word!

So we've had a bit of an increase in traffic lately and I hope to keep everyone coming back with more post and less gaps.
A couple of things you can do to help:

Spread the Word on Facebook and Twitter.  You'll notice new links on the right side (under the favorite food sites links) that allow you to share the blog on facebook and twitter.  So please help spread the word.

Flank Steak Stir Fry

Stir fry is easy enough but I have a couple of tricks to take it out of the realm of the ordinary.

I like flank steak in my stir fry and my secret is I don't cook the steak in the pan/wok. I like to marinate my steak overnight in soy, lemon juice and worcestershire then grill it. I let it cool and slice it up before adding it to the veggies. You get a much better char and flavor from the grill you can't get from a pan.

Also, I like to cook my broccoli separate as well. I saute it then add a little broth and let it steam until done. This allows it to be cooked correctly and the steaming helps it maintain it's bright green color.

My last trick is one that makes it look great on a plate. One of the main differences in the 5 buck chinese buffet down the street and $15 an entree Asian joint with the Feng Shui decore is presentation. To make it look a little better stuff your serving of rice inside a ramekin and then invert it onto a plate. Remove the ramekin and you have a nice mound of rice that is not all over the plate.

Shrimp Lettuce Rolls

Guys don't like salad, that's pretty much a statement of fact. Not sure if we were born with some anti-lettuce gene but nonetheless most guys I know try to avoid the stuff. Well in my household salad avoidance is not really an option so the task is making the salad good/interesting without pouring a pint of ranch dressing on top.

Which leads me to making Shrimp Lettuce Rolls, which is basically a salad rolled up in rice paper. The concept is not unique, you've probably had them at your local Thai or Asian fusion hangout. However, they are so cheap and easy their is no reason not to make them at home.

The key ingredients are Rice Paper (found at the Asian Mkt), lettuce, basil, steamed shrimp and something to dip them in like soy or ponzu sauce.

Just soak a rice paper in hot water for 10 seconds then fill with shredded lettuce, basil and top with a steamed peeled shrimp. Roll it up tight and your done.

Once you master the basic the possibilities are endless: you can use more basil, less lettuce or other herbs such as mint. Also, some shredded carrot or celery would be a nice addition.

New Design

So we've got a new design. Yep that's a cutting board back there.

I'm also hoping to get back to regular updates. The plan is to have something new up each weekend. I've got a couple in the hopper that I'm pretty excited about; let's just say there is some pork belly in there and you can never go wrong with that.