Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Buns)

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This recipe should have been here a few years ago. Seriously. 

Because since we tried them the first time (at Fogo de Chao in LV) a few years back, these cheesy rolls have been our choice of bread to accompany many of our dinners at home.

They're crunchy on the outside but slightly chewy in the center, and relatively easy to make.

The only tricky part for most people is finding the right kind of flour for this. 

If you live in the area where there's a sizable Brazilian population, you should be able to find sour tapioca flour (povilho azedo) in a Brazilian/Latin America market (I got mine from Bossa Nova Brazil in El Cerrito, by the way).

If that's not an option, you should be able to purchase one online from Amazon.com.

Regular tapioca flour can also be used for a substitute. Although in my opinion, it's not the same since it lacks that slightly sour and fermented flavor. So don't change if you don't have to.

And did I mention that in addition to being delicious, they are also gluten-free?

Ingredients:

• 500 grams sour tapioca flour (povilho azedo)
• 10 grams salt
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 150 grams grated firm cheese (parmesan works well for this)
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, oil and salt, mix thoroughly. Add cheese, eggs and milk into the mixture, and blend until well combined.
• Line a cookie sheet with non-stick liner or parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop a round portion of the dough and roll into a ball (about 1.5 inches in diameter) using the palm of your hands. Place the balls on the lined cookie sheet with an inch space in between them.
• Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, continue baking until the balls turn slightly golden and crispy on the outside, about 15-20 more minutes. Serve warm.

Dublin Coddle

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Being sick stinks. 

But that's what I have been experiencing this past week, together with my oldest offspring. In fact, big C got it worse than me. His flu was so bad he had to stay at home and missed his rowing practices the entire week. 

The house was beyond messy, but I didn't care. Our meals consisted of whatever quick and easy I could manage to whip up. Mostly stir-fry stuff. 

But finally today, we said we want something different. No more stir-fry, let's have something soupy and comforting, but still easy to make.

Then Dublin coddle came to mind.

This slow-cooked Irish stew filled with bacon, sausages and potatoes is not only easy to make, but also tastes great. This is the kind of dish that makes you warm and fuzzy inside. 

Because the dish only calls for a few ingredients, make sure you only use the good quality sausages and bacon you can find. The better the ingredients, the better your stew will be. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 5 thick-cut/slab bacon (or rashers), cut into strips
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 5 links pork sausages
• 10 unpeeled gold potatoes, washed and halved
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 small cabbage , cut into 8 sections (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Brown the sausages on both sides, transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Add bacon and onion into the saucepan. Cook until the onion has softened, about 5-10 minutes. Return sausages into the pot, add potatoes and pour the stock into the pot. Add cabbage into the pot as well, if you're using. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low,. Cover the saucepan and simmer for about 1 hour, until the potatoes are tender.
• Ladle soup into individual bowl and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve hot with good crusty bread.

Mapo Tofu

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Mapo tofu, to me, is comfort food.

This spicy dish with fermented bean base, combined with mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns, can be found in most Chinese restaurants across the country. But seriously, what not to like?

There are 3 important ingredients for cooking authentic Mapo tofu: doubanjiang which is chili bean paste (one of the most important ingredients in Sichuan cooking), and dou-chi, also known as fermented black beans, and lastly Sichuan peppercorns. Omit any of these ingredients, and your tofu will not be the same, I'll tell ya!

Poaching the tofu prior to cooking will help to make your tofu more tender. Simply soak tofu in hot salted water for about 3 minutes, drain and slice/cube.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound (1 block) soft tofu, poached and cut into 1" cubes
• 1/2 pound ground pork or beef
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons doubanjiang
• 1 tablespoon dou-chi
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup green peas (optional)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn (fry whole peppercorns in a pan, cool down and ground using food processor)
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 4 tablespoons water
• Salt (if needed)
• 3 stalks green onion, chopped

Directions:

• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil over medium-high heat. Cook ground meat until done, transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Add sesame oil into the skillet. Fry garlic, ginger, doubanjian, dou-chi in the skillet until fragrant. Place tofu cubes, green peas and ground meat into the skillet, mix gently so the tofu don't turn mushy. 
• Pour chicken broth into the skillet. Add soy sauce and ground peppercorn, and let the liquid to boil. Mix water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stir into the tofu mixture. Simmer and let the liquid thickens, about 2-3 minutes. At this point, taste the dish to see if additional salt is needed.
• Transfer dish to a serving plate. Garnish with chopped green onion and serve hot with steamed rice.