Paradox Blog

It was 1985. After the spectacular fall foliage, the branches bare out in the chilly open air, and I spent my very first winter on the campus of State University of New York at Stony Brook on Long Island, New York. Winter could be cold and miserable when it rains in Taipei where I grew up but never this desolate. Animals and people hid away in their dwellings. Outdoor became the passage way between the academic buildings and the dormitory. Thanksgiving came, the campus was deserted so were most dormitories except for the graduate student's apartment complex where many international students temporarily called home. Home was too far away and too expensive to get back too just for a long weekend. Instead of families, dorm mates gathered to warm each other's spirit for a pot luck on holidays like this when homesickness is academic.

Dishes were mostly reminiscent of home cooking. Old timers, mastering the art of eastern cooking with western ingredients, brought dishes like Salty Sticky Rice, Curry Turnovers, Beef-stuffed Pancakes and Scallion Pancakes. Newcomers mostly resorted to quick solution of premixed cake, Jell-O or pudding, cheered at the sight of dishes they had been missing since their plane landed on this eastern end of the continent on this side of the Pacific Ocean. Many Thanksgivings, Christmases and New year's Eves since were spent around such pot luck table. I remembered well the flavors of and the stories behind those dishes. Stories first.

On Thanksgiving, turkey was a must though a novelty to most of us. Since every apartment in the dorm came equipped with an oven, we were tempted to experiment with this new cooking technique, baking. Turkey was a lot harder than our usual adventure with premixed packages of cake mix. One time a bachelor decided to bake his very own big bird. He followed the instructions on the packaging of the frozen bird, thawed it for several days, carefully measured the time needed to cook it, put the turkey in the oven, and set the temperature and the timer. Voila, expecting he would be enjoying his big feast when the timer alarm went off, he happily went away for a nap. Half way through the baking, the dripping fat from the bird ignited and we had a fire bird in the oven. Fortunately his roommate was around to catch the disaster and extinguish the fire before it could spread from the oven. The smoke, however, set off the smoke detector and our bachelor was waken up not by the timer alarm but by the piercing smoke alarm.

Another turkey story. In this tale, our innovative cook thought it would be nice to use rice as stuffing, picturing the turkey done with rice cooked and flavored just right inside of it. She filled the turkey cavern with uncooked rice grains and gave it an extra nudge to make sure it is stuffed tight. She put the turkey in the oven figuring it will take about three hours for the turkey and the rice to be ready. She diligently checked the thermometer every half an hour or so. After about two and a half hours, the temperature inside the turkey started to rise and the heat started to expand the soaked rice. The smell of the deliciously cooked bird permeated in the air. Our cook patiently awaited when faintly a strange sound could be heard from the oven. It was a "hoo hoo" sound and sounded like someone blowing air into a balloon. The "hoo hoo" sound gradually became more distinctive when suddenly a loud "foom" followed. Our cook opened the oven to find the turkey had exploded from the pressure created by the expanding rice, making a real mess inside the oven. Now the recipes.

Sticky Rice Stuffing

2 cups of uncooked long grain sticky rice
1/2 lb. of lean pork loin meat, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup of chopped shallots
6 heads of dried shiitake mushroom, soaked and cut into thin strips
1/4 cup of dried shrimps, soaked and chopped into bits
4 tblsps of cooking oil
2 tblsps of soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3 cups of water
1 cup of broth (chicken or vegetable)

Soak sticky rice in water and broth in rice cooker-ready pot overnight. Heat oil in pan, brown shallots first, then stir in pork strips, mushroom strips and shrimp bits, add soy sauce and salt. Add stir-fried mixture into rice pot, stir to mix.. Add half a cup of water to rice cooker and cook rice mixture until done. Serve warm. Make eight 3/4 cup servings.

Curry Turnovers

One can of quick croissant dough (makes 8 in each can)
1/4 lb. of ground beef (or pork or chicken)
1/4 cup of chopped onion
1/2 tblsp of curry powder (add more for more spicy taste, less for milder taste)
1 tblsp of cooking oil
1 tblsp of soy sauce
1/2 tblsp of sugar
1/2 tblsp of cooking wine
1/2 tblsp of corn starch
1/4 cup of cold water
dash of salt and pepper to taste

For the filling, heat 1 tblsp of cooking oil in pan, brown onions first, then stir in ground beef (pork, chicken), add soy sauce, cooking wine, sugar and salt and pepper, stir well to mix everything, dissolve corn starch in cold water, slower add corn starch water to beef mixture while stirring to thicken the mixture, turn off heat and set aside. For each turnover, use 1/8 of the beef filling mixture and one triangular croissant dough. Place beef filling in the center of the triangle. Fold in the two corner of the longest side, pinch on top. Fold in the third corner and pinch to close the opening. Repeat to make other turnovers. Heat oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit, bake turnovers for 10 to 12 minutes or until pastry turn golden brown. Make 8 turnovers. Serve warm.

Beef-stuffed Pancakes

One can of Country Style Biscuits (with 8 or 10 biscuits)
1/2 lb. ground beef
2 tblsps of chopped scallion or onion
1 tblsp of sesame oil
1 tblsp of soy sauce
1/2 cup of water
dash of salt
4 tblsps of cooking oil

Mix together ground beef, scallion pieces, sesame oil, soy sauce, salt and water. Set mixture aside. For each pancake, use a rolling pin and, flatten and extend the biscuit to about 1/2 inch thick, 6 inches in diameter round shape. Make a dent in the center and the outer rim even thinner. Scoop 1/8 of the beef mixture onto the center. Fold the rim over the center and pinch together to enclose the beef filling. Use your palm to gently press down the filled biscuit to about 1 inch thick. Heat 1 tblsp of oil in pan, use medium heat, grill filled biscuit 3 minutes on each side. Repeat to make other pancakes. Make 8 to 10 pancakes. Serve warm.

Scallion Pancakes

12 flour tortillas
8 table spoons of cooking oil
1/2 cup of chopped scallions
dashes of salt

Use 3 tortillas for one pancake. Brush 1/2 tblsp of oil onto one side of the tortilla. Sprinkle generously scallion pieces onto the oily side. Sprinkle dash of salt for taste. Cover with a second tortilla. Brush another 1/2 tblsp of oil onto the top of the tortilla layers. Sprinkle scallions and salt. Cover with a 3rd tortilla. Heat 1 tblsp of oil in pan. Grill tortilla layers on both sides with medium heat, about two minutes each side. Repeat from start to make more pancakes. Make 4 pancakes. Serve warm.