Pad Thai

Summer in Southwestern Ontario means festivals. And one of my favourite things about festivals is the food. Every single festival has a diverse and mouth-watering variety of meals and snacks to choose from. In the last few years the number of Thai food vendors has increased dramatically, giving me the opportunity to sample several distinct pad thai variations. Having done that, of course, I had to try and create my own. For those of you who have requested a vegetarian dish on this blog (and you know who you are) this one's for you.

I find the most essential tool for making pad thai (and many other eastern dishes) is a good wok. If you don't own one a frying pan will do in a pinch but every kitchen should have a wok. This Asian cooking utensil can be used to quickly stir fry some of the most versatile and healthy dishes imaginable. The standard wok is shaped like a large, smooth, often shallow metal bowl, the sloping sides allowing the cook two different areas to heat food. The bottom of the wok is hot and this is where all the main cooking takes place. The sides are less hot and work well to hold food, keeping it hot but not over-cooking it, while other ingredients are cooking in the center. A word of caution - to use a wok effectively you need to prepare all your ingredients first (chop, mince, wash, mix, etc.) because cooking in a wok can be fast and furious.

Ingredients:
• 8 oz. flat, thin rice noodles
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 4 cups (or 'heads') baby bok choy, washed thoroughly and roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
• ½ cup soft tofu OR 2 eggs
• 1 cup firm tofu (and/or chicken, and/or shrimp)
• chopped green onion or chives (optional)
• oil for stir-frying (peanut or canola oil)

Pad Thai sauce:
• ¾ tbsp tamarind paste (try your local Asian or East Indian food store)
• ¼ cup hot water
• 3+ tbsp soy sauce (or fish sauce)
• ½ to 2 tsp chili sauce*
• 3 tbsp brown sugar

Condiments:
• cilantro/coriander
• chopped peanuts, cashews or almonds
• 1 lime, quartered

* Chili sauces come in many varieties and a broad range of spiciness. For this dish you can use a sweet thai chili sauce or a hot chili sauce but be careful, some chili sauces can pack a great deal of heat in a very small serving. I like to control the heat so I use 1 ½ tsp sweet chili sauce and ½ tsp hot chili sauce. Then I make the hot sauce available at the table for those who like it spicy.

Utensils:
• blender, hand blender with chopping attachment or food processor
• large pot
• wok
• wok utensils (see Tips on choosing and using a wok, below)
• non-stick fry pan

Let's start with the pad thai sauce. In a blender or food processor combine the ¾ tbsp tamarind paste with the ¼ cup hot water. Puree until thoroughly mixed. Then add the soy sauce or fish sauce, the chili sauce and the brown sugar. Blend together. Set aside.

Separate and thoroughly wash the bok choy leaves. Coarsely chop with a knife and set aside. Mince the garlic and shallot (after removing the dry outer layer or 'skin') and set aside. Put the bean sprouts into a bowl (if using canned, drain first). If using eggs break them into a small bowl so that you can add them to the wok quickly.

It is essential to have all the ingredients ready to go before you start cooking with a wok. The cooking process with a wok is very quick. In fact this dish requires about 8 - 10 minutes cooking time once the oil hits the wok.

Put a pot of water on to boil. Once it reaches boiling remove from heat and add the rice noodles. Make sure that there is enough water to cover the noodles. Let sit for approx. 8 minutes (until the noodles are soft but firm in the middle, they will continue to cook in the wok). Strain and set aside.

While the noodles cook prepare the firm tofu (or chicken, or shrimp if you prefer). These should be cooked until they are almost ready to serve. The tofu should be cut into small sticks approx. ¼ inch square on the end and anywhere from ½ to 1 ½ inches long. Brown slightly in the non-stick frying pan with a teaspoon or so of oil. If using chicken be sure that it is cooked all the way through until the meat is opaque, even in the middle. If using shrimp I would recommend pre-cooked (pink) shrimp. Remove the tails and check to ensure they have been de-veined. If you want to use uncooked shrimp I am going to assume you know how to properly prepare it. Whichever of these ingredients you choose to add they will be going into the wok just before serving. Once prepared set them aside.

Put the wok on medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon or two of oil (when using a wok try to use an oil that won't smoke or burn too quickly such as peanut oil or canola oil). Pour the oil around the upper edge of the wok rather than just in the centre, then carefully tilt the wok allowing the oil to flow over as much of the surface as possible, at least half way up the sides. Add the garlic and shallots and fry for about 1 minute. Please note, if you are planning on adding beef, pork or some other meat to the dish this would be the time to add it, cooking it along with the garlic and shallot. DO NOT include the cooked chicken or shrimp at this point, they would become overcooked.

Now add the bok choy and stock. Cook for about 2 minutes until the leaves have turned a bright green and softened.

Push the garlic, shallot and bok choy up onto the sides of the wok and add a little oil to the bottom. Stir in the eggs (or soft tofu) and scramble them until they turn white (the eggs that is, the tofu is probably already white but it will start to break up).

Push the eggs/soft tofu to the side, with the garlic, shallot and bok choy, and again add a little oil to the bottom of the wok. Add the previously cooked rice noodles and one third of the pad thai sauce. Stir fry, gradually combining the other ingredients from the sides. Cook for about 1 minute. You may need to use two utensils at this point to keep the noodles and other ingredients moving around the wok. Be careful not to slide the wok off the stove while stirring with both hands.

Now add another third of the sauce and continue to stir fry for about a minute or until the noodles become soft and sticky. Be careful not to burn the noodles at this point, reducing the heat if necessary.

Once the noodles are sticky add the remaining sauce and the bean sprouts, continue to stir fry for another couple of minutes. Add the previously prepared tofu/chicken/shrimp and stir until well mixed into the dish. At this point taste the noodles and see if you need to add more soy sauce/fish sauce or a little more chili sauce (based on your personal preference).

Serve the pad thai immediately, preferably on a warmed plate. Be sure to include condiments at the table including chopped cilantro, chili sauce and crushed nuts such as peanut, cashew or almond. Each plate should also include a quarter wedge of lime. I swear that a sprinkle of lime juice completes the dish and without it pad thai can be a little on the flat side... at least to my tastebuds.

Tips on choosing and using a wok:
I was first inspired to try cooking with a wok after watching several episodes of "Wok with Yan" back in the 70s. I've been using the same steel, two handled wok for 15 years and never been disappointed. That doesn't mean I haven't tried (and even liked) others. Here are a few things I have learned.

1. Short handles get hot. If you can get a wok with a single long handle, that stays cool and balanced on the burner, you should. The single handle will give you much more control. A single, long handle makes it much easier to flip and shuffle food around inside the wok and you don't have to constantly be grabbing for a pot holder.

2. Non-stick coatings are great but NOT on a wok. One of the main benefits to cooking with a wok is that you can move ingredients up onto the side of the wok while continuing to cook in the middle. With non-stick sides the food won't stay in place and keeps sliding into the center.

3. Electric woks don't work well. Some electric woks simply don't heat up enough to properly stir fry with. If you have a gas stove get a traditional wok. Even if you only have an electric stove (admittedly woks do work best on open flame burners) you'll probably still prefer a traditional wok over one you plug in. It's much easier to clean, allows more control of the heat and much less likely to break down or require replacing.

4. Invest in proper utensils for your wok. These include a rice paddle (wide flat ended spoon... I use a large bamboo spoon), a brass deep-fry strainer (yes, the wok is great as a deep fryer and for making tempura), a shallow ladle and a wok turner (a metal spatula with a long wooden handle) for stir frying... although I often use the same bamboo spoon for this purpose. You might even try a bamboo steamer, great for steaming dumplings and vegetables. You might want to purchase a second wok for the steamer so that you will still have one free for stir frying. I would also recommend investing in a number of small 1 and 2 cup glass/ceramic bowls for holding prepared ingredients. These will come in handy even when not using the wok. (See ingredients photo for example of dishes). Small metal dishes are also fine but some foods react to metal so I prefer glass or ceramic dishes.

5. A flat bottom wok isn't for everyone. You can get flat bottom woks that will sit better on an electric stove but the flat bottom, in my experience, tends to get in the way of smooth stir frying. As long as you always use the metal ring that comes with most modern woks (sits around the coil, supporting the bottom of the wok) using the round bottomed style works great.

6. Properly maintain your wok. Most woks are made from steel (conducts the heat well) and will need to be properly handled and seasoned for long life. After washing and gently scouring your wok, towel dry and put it back on the stove to heat it up (this helps dry the surface of the wok completely). Then add a little oil and rub it onto the entire inside surface with a folded dry dish towel or paper towel (remember the wok is hot, be sure that you wad up enough paper towel to protect your fingers from the heat). Let the wok cool to room temperature. This will season the surface and help to prevent rust, which can pit the cooking surface and destroy your wok. In fact, you will need to season your new wok in this manner before you use it for the first time.

If you follow these tips you can "wok" tall in the kitchen knowing your wok is always ready to go. Sorry, just a little left over pun from watching "Wok with Yan" episodes.

Pesto Cavatelli in Tomato Sauce

Making your own pasta can be very rewarding but most forms of pasta, without the aid of a pasta machine of some description, can be very difficult. Luckily there are a few that don't require mechanical assistance even for a beginner. These would include (but are not limited to) gnocchi (pronounced noh-kee), spätzel (prounounced shpet-sluh) and cavatelli (pronounced cah-vah-TELL-lee). This particular recipe calls for cavatelli.

There are nearly as many recipes for cavatelli dough as there are sauces they can be served with but this is one of my favourites.

Ingredients
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup semolina (pasta) flour
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 3 tbsp pesto
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Ingredients (Tomato sauce)
• 28 oz. can of tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ cup sliced olives
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp dried basil or 5 basil leaves

Utensils/Tools
• icing spatula or (new) putty knife
• rolling pin
• pizza cutter
• chef's knife or large knife
• large pot
• large fry pan (for the tomato sauce)

You can use any sauce you want with these cavatelli but I find a tomato sauce goes best. If you have a favourite tomato, meat or marinara sauce go ahead and make that up. If not, here is a quick and simple sauce you can prepare before starting the cavatelli.

Slice mushrooms and chop/dice onions. Place in a hot fry pan (large enough to hold all the ingredients) with a little olive oil and saute until the onion is transparent. Meanwhile chop up the garlic.

At this point feel free to add any other ingredients you like such as roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian sausage, etc.

Add the garlic and any additional ingredients to the onion/mushroom pan and continue to fry for 2 or 3 minutes (longer if you've added meat).

Slice or dice the olives and reserve. Use any olive you like, I've used green olives with pimento centers in the photos but black olives or salt cured olives would work just as well. I prefer to hold off adding the olives until about 10 minutes before serving.

Add the tomato paste and stir throughout. Continue to fry for another minute or 2. Then add your canned tomatoes. I like to use crushed/pureed tomatoes (usually the lowest sodium content of any canned tomato) but if you don't have crushed tomatoes any chopped/diced tomatoes will work. You can also crush whole canned tomatoes with your hands (watch for juice squirting out between your fingers). Of course you can use fresh tomatoes but I would remove the skin first (dip into boiling water for 30 seconds then into iced water... the skin should peel off). Let the sauce simmer while you prepare the cavatelli. Add the basil, olives and a little salt/pepper about 10 minutes before serving.

Making the Cavatelli
You can either prepare the dough in the traditional way by pouring a mountain of flour and other dry ingredients onto your kitchen counter, put a depression in the center, then add the wet ingredients one after the other while stirring with a fork until you have combined the dry with the wet. For cavatelli (as well as gnocchi) I find that using a bowl is cleaner and works just as well.

NOTE: As I have mentioned before I am a big believer in experimenting with food. You never know what you might get, sometimes it will turn out to be wonderful and other times... not so much. While preparing this recipe in order to take the photos I decided to try substituting whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour I normally use (I prefer whole wheat pasta most of the time). I can honestly say that whole wheat flour does NOT work for cavatelli. The finished noodles were dry, grainy and less than palatable. So save yourself the disappointment, use all-purpose flour, bread flour, semolina flour or a combination of these but avoid whole wheat when making this recipe.
Also if you notice that your cavatelli looks a little different then the ones in the photos the odds are this is due to the whole wheat flour being substantially darker than a more processed flour.

Pour all your dry ingredients (flour, semolina, Parmesan & pepper) into a large glass bowl. Mix thoroughly, then make a depression in the middle of the mix and crack in the eggs. Mix for a minute then add the pesto. If you want to make your own pesto I will include a recipe at the end of this blog. After a minute of so of mixing in the pesto add the ricotta cheese and continue to mix until a rough ball of dough forms.

Onto a floured counter scrap out the rough dough ball and any remaining ingredients from the bowl. Now comes the hard part. You will have to kneed the dough until it is smooth and shiny. You may need to add a little more flour or a little water in order to get the ball to shape properly.

I usually push the heels of my hands into the dough, pushing it away from me for about 6-10 inches, then folding in the sides and repeating. Occasionally turn the ball of dough or fold the edges in to make a ball and continue to kneed. This could take 15-20 minutes. Once the ball of dough is smooth (no lumps what-s0-ever) and just a little shiny you are ready.

Now roll out the dough until it is approx. ¼" thick. Then using a knife or pizza cutter (a circular blade you can roll through the dough) cut into ¼" wide strips. I recommend cutting 2 or 3 strips at a time, no more or they will start to dry out. Take a strip and roll it on the counter under the palm of your hand until the square edges are flattened and the length of dough becomes rope-like in appearance.

Using a knife, edge of a fork or the pizza cutter again cut the rope-like dough into approx. ¾" long sections. Do this for 3 or 5 lengths of dough.

Now you are ready to turn the dough into a cavatelli noodle. Using your finger, the side of a spoon or butter knife place on top of the ¾" long piece of dough, press down and pull toward yourself. The dough should curl up on the trailing end of the finger, spoon or knife creating a noodle that looks a bit like a wood chip. This may be difficult the first few times but with practice it will get easier and the noodles will look better and better.

I've seen people actually pull the cavatelli while it sits on a fork giving the noodle more ridges. This is supposed to create more nooks and crannies for the sauce to cling to and it probably does but it also makes the whole process that much more complicated. If you have plenty of time give it a try, who knows it might become your preferred method. Me, I'll stick with my favourite method.

Personally I like to use an icing knife, a thin metal blade with no sharpened edge. The metal is very flexible and if you hold your finger back about 2" from the end, press down and pull toward you a nearly perfect curl of dough should appear. I've heard a scraper or putty knife will work just as well but haven't tried them yet. Once you have curled all the short pieces mix them with a little flour and set aside on a cookie tray, pizza pan or strips of wax paper.

Now repeat the process until you have cut and rolled all the dough. This should produce enough noodles for 4 servings. If you are only using one or two you can add a little more flour to the remaining noodles, put them in the fridge for about an hour or so to firm up, then put them into plastic bags and freeze them for later use.

While curling the last few cavatelli put a large pot of water (salted) on to boil. Once the water is boiling add about half of the noodles (shake off as much flour as possible) to the water. Once they noodles are cooked they will float to the top. I usually let them float on the top for a minute or so to make sure they are fully cooked. Scoop them out of the pot with a slotted spoon (a large spoon with holes in it that allows the water to drain out) or a small metal mesh strainer. Put into a glass bowl. Some people like to add a little butter at this point to keep the noodles from sticking together.

Once all the noodles have been cooked and added to the bowl you can top them with the tomato sauce and serve. Each person can add a little Parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper according to their own taste. As for a side-dish / vegetable cavatelli is great with fried zucchini, fiddleheads or buttered carrots.

If this seems like a lot of work why not make a party of it. Invite over a few friends and everyone can take a stab at making the cavatelli. I love cooking parties, especially ones where everyone can get their hands dirty (or doughy, floury or just plain messy). Each guest can also bring part of the meal (side-dish, dessert, wine, etc.) You will certainly learn who your friends are... they'll be the ones that show up to the next cooking party.

Pesto Recipe:
As promised earlier here is a simple recipe for pesto. Simply add the following ingredients to your food processor (or a blender if necessary). Fresh basil (2 cups of packed leaves), 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, 1/3 cup pine nuts (optional) and 3 cloves of garlic (minced). Pulse the food processor a few times to start breaking up the leaves and pine nuts then turn on steady. Slowly add 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil in a steady stream until all has been added. Allow the food processor to puree for about a minute. If necessary turn off and use a spatula to scrap down the sides, then process further. This will make about 1 cup of pesto.

Why would you want Alfredo sauce from a jar?

I have been mystified by the trend toward putting what is essentially a simple meal into a jar. Is the idea to make it even simpler? But at what cost. The perfect example is Alfredo sauce. I'm sure you have all (except for the lactose intolerant amongst you) enjoyed Fettuccine Alfredo at a restaurant. Some have probably made it from scratch (if so this recipe will be redundant).

But what worries me is that some of you have probably even purchased "Alfredo" sauce in a jar. But trust me, that is not Alfredo sauce.

Considering you can make your own Alfredo sauce in the time it takes the pasta to cook I can't understand why anyone would ever eat the weird white substance you can purchase at the supermarket.

For those of you willing to try it, here is my favourite Alfredo sauce.

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

Ingredients
• 240 g (8 oz) fettuccine (I prefer whole wheat)
• 90 ml (6 tbsp) butter (margarine if you must)
• 350 ml (1.5 cups) whipping cream*
• 240 ml (1 cup) Parmesan/mozzarella cheese
• 0.7 ml (1/8 tsp) nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste

Utensils
• Large pot such as a dutch oven or • Stock pot
• Large non-stick frying pan
• Wooden spoon (or a heat proof spoon/spatula)
• Large (deep) colander or strainer
• Large bowl, ceramic or glass preferred
• Cheese grater


*Be careful if you try to substitute something else for the whipping cream. Half and half or table cream can work but the finished sauce will be less rich. Never use a whipping cream look-alike, these are not made with milk/cream and simply don't work. And please don't try to use the aerosol whipped cream... it might work but you'll be there all day :)

Simple so far huh?
If your cheese is not grated yet do that first. Most Alfredo recipes call for only Parmesan cheese but I personally like to use a combination of mozzarella and Parmesan (1/2 cup each).

In the large pot put 700 ml of water (pasta cooks better with plenty of water) and bring it to a boil. You can add a little olive oil if you like but I find with enough water it's not really necessary.

Once the water is boiling add the pasta. If you are using fresh pasta hold off cooking until the Alfredo sauce is ready since it takes such a short time (less than 10 minutes). If you are using dry pasta it will probably require 7 - 15 minutes to cook (whole wheat may take the full 15 minute).

While the water is coming to a boil put the butter into the frying pan and on medium heat melt the butter until it becomes slightly frothy or brown. Be careful not to burn the butter. I prefer butter rather than margarine both because of the taste and because of the way it combines with the whipping cream.

Once the butter is ready slowly add 1 cup of the whipping cream, stirring as you pour it in. Gradually the yellow of the butter and the white of the cream should combine and start to bubble. Once the bubbling starts the two should mix into a creamy sauce. Don't over cook the sauce, you are better off turning the heat down and letting it sit for a couple of minutes if the pasta needs to cook longer.

Once the pasta is al dente (for a description of al dente see below) strain it in the colander. I recommend a deep colander rather than a bowl shaped one. The pasta can easily spill or slosh out of a shallow colander and unless you've just cleaned the sink you probably won't want to pickup the stray noodles and put them back. Some people recommend rinsing the pasta, others don't. Personally I don't but I'll leave that to your discretion.

Put the pasta in the large bowl. Add the Alfredo sauce from the frying pan and mix well, coating the noodles. Add half the cheese and mix some more. Then add the remaining whipping cream and mix. Finally add the remaining cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix. You're now ready to serve.

I often add the cheese to the Alfredo sauce about a minute before mixing it into the pasta. I find that the cheese melts into the sauce and then mixes more quickly and cleanly with the noodles, keeping the dish hotter. Purists would probably condemn me for such blasphemy but I say "if it works - why not."

The pasta should be served immediately. I often top it with a little more pepper and a little cheese but you might just make these available at the table and let each person handle it as they will.

For those of you who are looking at this recipe and only seeing the fat and calories don't panic. There are alternatives (although I don't think they taste nearly as good). You could replace the whipping cream with 1 cup of skim milk and add a tablespoon of flour, whipping briskly. And as for the cheese I've tried a soy based Parmesan and it wasn't bad. But personally I would recommend making it as described above and just limiting how often you make it.

I promised to explain the term al dente earlier so here we go. Al dente means "to the tooth" but that doesn't really help much. In simple terms al dente means firm but not hard. The noodle/pasta should give when bitten but then resist just a little.

In fact, if you place a noodle (spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine) that is al dente on a cutting board and press the flat side of a knife on it and flatten the noodle you should be able to see a thin white core, maybe twice as thick as a strand of hair, inside the noodle. This works best with semolina (white) pasta but is very hard to see in whole wheat pasta.

My Nona used to say if you throw the noodle against the wall and it sticks, it's ready. She used to say that but I don't remember her ever actually doing it. Give it a try though... I did.