"Jiu Men Xiao Chi" {Nine Gates Snack Street} - The best of Beijing Street Food

Sweet potato chips - about $1.30 USD for a huge bag

I have this thing for snacks.

I've never been a "three big meals" sort of person. If it were up to me, I would just snack my way through the day, never really sitting down for a proper meal. My favorite ways to enjoy an actual meal is in the style of dim sum or tapas, where I get to sample many tiny bites of a wide variety of things.

shao bing - sesame layered biscuit - about 10 cents each

As you may know, I've been doing this extensive series on China. I actually visited China twice this past fall. The first trip was a vacation that Bryan and I had planned months ago. We did all the touristy things - visited the Great Wall, saw the Terra Cotta Soldiers in Xi'An, and explored Shanghai and the World Expo.

The second trip was completely unexpected. Bryan found out last minute that he needed to go to China and Japan for business. Since I had several vacation days left to spare, I decided to come along with him.

Going on a trip where one person needs to work most of the time is really really different from a normal vacation. I found myself alone most days (and certain nights!). In some ways it's a bit lonelier, but in other ways, it's rather freeing as well.

I took these opportunities to do something I love that Bryan always hates - skipping meals in lieu of snacks!

Opened in 2006, "Jiu Men Xiao Chi" is named after the nine gates surrounding old Beijing in the Forbidden City. It's a building that houses many of the most famous street vendors in Beijing. Many of these vendors are actually descendants of imperial chefs and have been making their signature snacks for generations.

For decades, dozens of these vendors sold their famous snacks at Menkuang Hutong, an old alleyway right outside of Qian Men. In 2006 the area was demolished to make way for shiny new high-rises in anticipation of the 2008 Olympics.

There was a huge outcry as people responded in anger at the loss of such storied favorites. Fortunately, the  government invited eleven of the most famous vendors to move to a new indoor enclosed area built to mimic the original outdoor alley next to Qian Men.

Though "Jiu Men" does not have quite the same atmosphere as the original street market, many of the vendors are still the same and, more importantly, the food is still the same.

I spent an entire afternoon in Hou Hai, the touristy lakeside area where this foodstall restaurant now resides. I had tons of fun ordering various different snacks. I only wish I were with more people so I could have tried more things. Nevertheless, here are a few of the classic Beijing Street snacks that I tried.

Candied Sweet Potato Chips

These candied chips are sweet, sticky, and more chewy than crunchy. They are pretty good, though I prefer the simple crunchy salted ones (pictured up top) that I picked up from another street vendor a few days later.


Dou Zhi - fermented mung bean juice

It doesn't sound appetizing; it sure doesn't smell appetizing; and  . . . it tastes awful! Nevertheless, Beijingers slurp up this sour watery soup that sort of reminds me of dishwater that's gone bad. They think it's cleansing and good for your body, full of probiotics and fermented goodness, perhaps? It boggles my mind, but as a fearless and adventurous food enthusiast, I had to try it.

Muslim Snacks

In the original area around Qian Men, there was a specific Muslim section where Muslim type snacks were sold. Inside Jiu Men, they have converted a special section into the old Muslim "street". There is even a sign warning you not to bring meat into the special area.

I tried a bunch of Muslim snacks, which were pretty good. The fried rolled up swirls (above) tasted sort of like egg rolls. Light, crispy, with just a hint of some Indian spices.

More Muslim Snacks

I mostly just pointed at snacks I wanted to try, since my Chinese reading skills are quite elementary. Most of the snacks were fried, like the doughnut-like fried ring, which I think I was supposed to dip into the fermented mung bean water above, sort of like a twisted version of you tiao (fried cruellers) and dou jiang (soy milk). The other circular pretzel-like snack was sugary and sort of gummy and chewy. All of the snacks were reasonably tasty, though I did not love any one to order again.

One of my favorite savory items was this stir-fried mung bean jelly cake. It was a bit greasy, but I just loved the addictive flavors of the spicy hot sauce she used in the dish (maybe there was some MSG in there?). The dish was satisfyingly hot, savory, and spicy. The little bean sprouts throughout gave just the right amount of crunch to the dish. Loved it. 

Stir-fried Mung Bean Jelly with Bean Sprouts

Don't Forget Dessert!

Nai lao - rice wine yogurt with red bean

Nai lao is a light and delicate milk-based yogurt that hails from imperial times. In fact, Wei Hongchen introduced this dessert to the general public in 1888, using the secret nai lao recipe he had obtained from the Qing imperial kitchen.

I really love this stuff. It's much lighter and more delicate than a traditional American custard. In fact, it's just made with just rice wine, milk, and sugar. There's no eggs. Instead, all you taste is the pure essence of milk, with just a hint of the sweetness. The texture is extremely delicate, like a very unstable custard that could break at any moment.

Final Thoughts
Overall, I had tons of fun exploring my way around Jiu Men Xiao Chi. I would definitely recommend checking this place out if you want to experience some traditional Beijing snacks! It's pretty clean, and the food is very fresh due to the popularity of the place. If you are adventurous, you can even try some of the more interesting dishes they have, such as Feng's boiled beef stomach or Chen's boiled pork intestines and lungs.

But even if you're a bit squeamish, there are plenty of delicious "normal" snacks to try! I would highly recommend ordering the stir fried mung bean jelly cakes (if you can take spicy), try a few random snacks just by pointing to what looks good, and end with a light and creamy cup of nai lao.

Who needs a fancy sit-down meal when you can have such good food right off the "street"?

;)

The Details
You don't pay directly with cash. Instead, you purchase a card at the front entrance on which you put money (fully refundable). I would recommend spending around 100 RMB ($15 USD) if you don't want to run out of money. You are required to keep a 10 RMB minimum on the card, otherwise, no one will accept your card. I  think I ended up spending around 60-70 RMB total - by far not the cheapest prices in China, but still quite reasonable by American standards.

I took a taxi here (since I didn't know how to get here by myself), but I ended up finding a subway nearby that took me home. The subway is reasonably close by and much cheaper (subway rides typically cost around 2 RMB a ride, about 30 cents).

Usually Jiu Men is packed and lines can get long. However, I beat the crowds by showing up around 3PM (Yes, I realize the signs say they are not open at this time, but I swear, that is when I went). I had the whole place to myself, with the vendors actually hawking at me, trying to get me to buy their foods.

1 Xiaoyou Hutong, north side of Houhai (next to Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling)
Xicheng District
Opening hours: 10:30 am-1:30 pm, 5 pm-9 pm.
Tel: 010-64025858

This is part 12 of the China Series detailing my recent trip to Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai. 

Other posts in this series: 

part 1: Wander the Streets of Beijing

part 2: Xian'r Lao Man (handmade dumplings)

part 3: Made in China (Peking duck)

part 4: Noodle Bar (hand pulled noodles)

part 5: Bao Yuan Dumpling (handmade dumplings)

part 6: Da Dong (Peking duck)

part 7: Jia Jia Tang Bao (Soup dumplings / xiao long bao)

part 8: Yang's Fry Dumpling (Pan fried steamed buns / shen jian bao)

part 9: Din Tai Fung (dumplings)

part 10: Eating At the World Expo
part 11: Crystal Jade (Dim Sum)

China: Lost in Translation

Happy Birthday Bryan: an Ode to Noodles and Ducks

Crystal Jade {Shanghai, China}

Dan dan mian with hand pulled noodles

If only franchised Chinese food chains in the US were this good.

Yes, Crystal Jade is a well known restaurant group that actually originates out of Singapore. They have multiple locations throughout Asia, including Singapore, China (Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou), Hong Kong, Thailand (Bangkok), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City), Korea (Seoul), Indonesia (Jakarta) and Japan (Tokyo). They make everything from sweet bakery items to savory dim sum dishes.

It may seem a bit weird to be visiting a Singaporean chain while in Shanghai. However, many have claimed that this place has some of the best dim sum (both Cantonese and Shanghainese) that Shanghai has to offer. Not wanting to miss out on some of the best food in Shanghai, we came here for our first meal right after hopping off the plane from Xi'An.

There are multiple Crystal Jade locations in Shanghai, but the one at Xin Tian Di was only a few minutes away via cab (which are very inexpensive in China!), located in the same shopping complex as Din Tai Fung.

It's great to be really hungry if you're going to be visiting this place, because you'll have a hard time narrowing down what you want to order! Come with a group of friends, if possible, so you can share a bunch of things!

We were very very impressed with the food here. This is a great place to visit if you want to try a variety of dim sum items, all executed with expert precision, quality, and care. The xiao long baos (soup dumplings) had a nice, thin skin that did not break at all. These were light years better than any dumpling we'd ever had in  Boston, and definitely closer in rank to the likes of Din Tai Fung and Jiai Jia Tang Bao. Similarly, the daikon pastries and steamed buns were also delicious.

We also tried this new type of  . . . sandwich? . . . that we'd never had before. It reminded me of Peking duck in some ways, but made with pork instead. First, they brought out a plate full of the barbecued pork, cucumbers, and fried tofu crisps? I'm not sure what the last ingredient was. Help! Does anyone know? 

The waitress then brought some flat steamed bread that had the consistency of Chinese mantous (steamed bread). She proceeded to construct a "sandwich" for us, placing pieces of pork, cucumber, and crispy tofu skin in between the bread.

The resulting little "pocket" was by far my favorite dish of the evening! I loved the interplay of textures between the soft, warm bread, the layered tofu crisps, the crunchy cucumbers, and the chewy pork. The flavors came together nicely as well, with the sweet and rich pork contrasting nicely with the light and crisp cucumbers. I really could have ordered two of these.

We also got a side dish of tofu noodles, edamame, and mustard greens, which was forgettable. We basically ordered this in a vain attempt to be healthy. I'd skip this unless if you are really feeling guilty about all the rich foods you've been eating!

Another favorite was the wontons in spicy chili sauce (hong you chao shou). I love the spicy kick of the hot oil, and the pork dumplings were juicy and flavorful as well.

Finally, we tried the hand pulled dan dan noodles (pictured up top). These had good texture, although we both decided that we didn't love the thick, sesame-like flavors of the dan dan mian. It's probably a matter of personal preference, but I found it a bit rich and heavy for my tastes.

In general, you really can't go wrong with Crystal Jade. Some claim that it's still not quite as good as the best dim sum in Hong Kong or Singapore, although in the same breath they say that it comes quite close. Having never really done that comparison, I can't comment on that. What I can say is that the dim sum is excellent, probably better than most, if not all, of the dim sum that is available in the US.

Plus, I think "close" to the best dim sum in the world is reason enough to visit, n'est-ce pas?

Highly recommended.

Notes: Apparently this place is very popular and can sometimes be super crowded. Definitely try to make a reservation if you can, or arrive a bit earlier. The menu is written in English (which is helpful!) and the service is excellent. You can easily reach Xin Tian Di by cab or by subway (Xin Tian Di stop on Line 10 or South Hangpi Road on Line 1). Check rail times! Line 10 just opened in April and has limited hours. We learned the hard way that it closes pretty early (like 8 PM or something) and got stuck having to hail a cab from another random station!

Crystal Jade
2/F South Block Xintiandi Ln
123 Xingye Lu
Shanghai, China 200031
上海市卢湾区兴业路123弄

This is part 11 of the China Series detailing my recent trip to Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai. 

Other posts in this series: 

part 1: Wander the Streets of Beijing

part 2: Xian'r Lao Man (handmade dumplings)

part 3: Made in China (Peking duck)

part 4: Noodle Bar (hand pulled noodles)

part 5: Bao Yuan Dumpling (handmade dumplings)

part 6: Da Dong (Peking duck)

part 7: Jia Jia Tang Bao (Soup dumplings / xiao long bao)

part 8: Yang's Fry Dumpling (Pan fried steamed buns / shen jian bao)

part 9: Din Tai Fung (dumplings)

part 10: Eating At the World Expo 

China: Lost in Translation

Happy Birthday Bryan: an Ode to Noodles and Ducks

Eating At the World Expo (Shanghai)

One way to taste a variety of cuisines around the world is to fly from region to region, country to country, scoping out the best foods from each location. Though super fun, most of us would go broke pretty fast if we tried that approach.

Another way is to have all these places come together in one single location.

The World Expo is a unique international fair that occurs once every five years. It is an extravagant event that lasts for months, where countries come together to exhibit to the rest of the world various aspects of their people, their culture, and, of course, their food!

Bryan and I visited Shanghai during the 2010 World Expo back in September. On top of learning a lot about the various countries, we also had some pretty unique food experiences!

I'm cheering for joy in the picture above because I finally found "China Food Street." What's China Food Street? Just imagine . . . a huge room full of various food stalls representing all the different provinces of China. Seriously, what better way to sample the cuisines throughout China in one afternoon than here?

Off we went . . . .

China Food Street was huge, with stalls after stalls representing all the different regions.

Beijing had its own stall, and featured the famous Peking duck from the inventor of the Peking Duck, Quanjude peking duck.

We went around 5:30PM, which turned out to be an excellent idea, because later the place would be absolutely MOBBED! [Navigating a place that's mobbed in China is NO FUN!]

As there were only two of us, we were limited in the number of dishes we could try (SAD!). We wanted to try less familiar dishes from regions we didn't know as well. Here's a sampling of what we tried.

We have a friend from the province of Hubei, so we thought it would be fun to try some snacks from her region. She confirmed that the dishes we tried were very authentic. Pictured above, glutinous rice wrapped in a deep fried tofu skin. On the right, glutinous rice wrapped with a rice flour wrapping. Both were delicious, dominated mostly by the flavors from the sticky rice.

Since Bryan loves fresh handmade noodles so much, the next dish we tried was a noodle soup made using knife shaved noodles.

Finally, we had to try the Peking duck from Quanjude, the most famous Peking duck place in Beijing. Quanjude essentially invented the modern Peking duck as we know it today.

Quanjude was established in 1864 during the Qing Dynasty. The first Quanjude manager, Yang Renquan, took the imperial recipe for Peking duck and used it to open the first Quanjude in Beijing, thus introducing this amazing dish to the common folks.

We didn't think it was nearly as good as other Peking duck places we tried in Beijing, but then it's not exactly fair to compare a food court stall with a fancy sit-down place.

Other Worldwide Tastes 
We snacked our way around the Expo, never really wanting to take the time out to sit down for a proper meal during the day. There was too much to see!

One of my favorite European cookies is the Dutch stroopwafel. This is a sandwich cookie composed of a chewy caramel center between two thin wafers. I used to love buying them at Trader Joe's (cheapest source I could find) and could easily eat many of these chewy cookies in one sitting.

I think I gasped out loud when I saw the people at the Netherlands Pavilion making these fresh. FRESH? I'd never seen them made fresh. of course I took tons of pictures and bought several.

More than once, Bryan and I opted to visit casual Taiwanese lunch spots. There's something about the traditional Taiwanese braised meat sauce over rice (lu ro) that I find so comforting and satisfying. Maybe it reminds me of home!

Below, I am enjoying a traditional Taiwanese meat sauce dish over rice, complete with a soy sauce egg, a pickled daikon, and some peanuts on the side. Best part? A HUMONGOUS bowl of shaved ice with red bean and condensed milk. Shaved ice is also so classic Taiwanese!
This is not exactly food, but it's food related. Food is Singapore (especially their street food) is so good and so well known, the Singapore Pavilion actually had a little interactive exhibit on their food.

You had to play the drums to the beat. If you did it fast enough, pictures of Singaporean food would light up on the dishes up ahead. It was kind of cute, ha ha, probably geared towards kids, but that didn't stop me!

49 Michelin Stars?
Finally, the Spanish Pavilion sponsored a really incredible eating series during the  Expo. Every week, a different set of Michelin-starred Spanish chefs would fly to the Expo to prepare a tasting menu at the Gran Melia hotel. This "gastronomic program" totaled 49 Michelin stars when you took into account all the chefs that were participating.

Bryan and I didn't hear about this thing until we arrived in China, but it just so happened we arrived during the grand culminating week - the week that included several two and three star Michelin chefs!

Have you ever seen so many Michelin-starred chefs cooking in the kitchen at the same time . . for you??? I surely haven't. Stay tuned for the complete post, including pictures all the courses of this unique tasting meal we had in Shanghai!

This is part 10 of the China Series detailing my recent trip to Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai. 

Other posts in this series: 

part 1: Wander the Streets of Beijing

part 2: Xian'r Lao Man (handmade dumplings)

part 3: Made in China (Peking duck)

part 4: Noodle Bar (hand pulled noodles)

part 5: Bao Yuan Dumpling (handmade dumplings)

part 6: Da Dong (Peking duck)

part 7: Jia Jia Tang Bao (Soup dumplings / xiao long bao)

part 8: Yang's Fry Dumpling (Pan fried steamed buns / shen jian bao)
part 9: Din Tai Fung (dumplings)

China: Lost in Translation

Happy Birthday Bryan: an Ode to Noodles and Ducks

Neptune Oyster

There's no question that Boston is known for its seafood. Tourists near and far don't ever leave without trying our lobsters, fried clams, or a decadently delicious bowl of our New England style clam chowder.

Many visitors whisk in and out of the city, content with dining at the iconic Legal Sea Foods and calling it a day (as far as Boston's seafood is concerned).

Now don't get me wrong. I love the clam chowder at Legal's and I do think they offer excellent quality fish that's very very fresh. However, I think there are much better places to visit in Boston if you want an intimate and authentic New England seafood experience that is several steps above your classic grilled fish, baked potato, and steamed broccoli crown.

Neptune Oyster has won Best of Boston in the categories of lobster rolls (2009), clams (2008), raw bar (2006), and seafood (2009). It's generally regarded as one of the best seafood places in Boston.

Why oh why did it take us so long to try this place?

First, it's located in the North End, the main Italian neighborhood in Boston. Byran loves Italian food and loves fresh homemade pasta even more. Thus, if we're ever in the neighborhood, it's virtually impossible to convince Bryan to give up the tantalizing homemade pastas beckoning his name from Prince Street, Fleet Street, or North Square in lieu of seafood.

Second, Neptune Oyster does not take reservations, and thus the lines can get unbearably long if you want to eat at a decent time. The restaurant is tiny (only seats 42 people total) and thus it can fill up fast. On the other hand, you can make reservations at all of Bryan's favorite Italian restaurants.

Raw oysters - $2-$4 each

Finally, just a week ago, we somehow managed to try this place; and I am sooo bummed we didn't come sooner! This place is the real deal. We really liked every dish we tried. There wasn't a single "miss."

Of course, you must try the raw oysters, which we enjoyed immensely. Neptune Oyster actually brings out a small sheet that describes the fresh available oysters of the day, complete with tasting notes (e.g., high salt, popcorn finish). You fill out the sheet with a pencil, sort of like at a sushi restaurant.

It was fun trying the different ones and comparing the written flavor notes to what we actually tasted. "Oh, how funny, it does taste like a popcorn finish!" The selection changes every day but it's always very very fresh and predominantly local.

Buttermilk Johnnycake: honey butter, smoked trout tartare, Little Pearl Caviar - $16

Oh, you must try the buttermilk johnnycake! We saw the ingredient list and knew we had to order it. Of course, it's hard to go wrong when you throw smoked tartare and caviar onto anything. Nevertheless, we still thought this dish was very well executed. The johnnycake was nice and crispy on the edges, yet buttery and moist on the inside. The combination of the caviar, trout, creamy sour cream (?), and buttery johnnycake came together very nicely. I was almost half sad that we were sharing it. I wanted more!

Seared Georges Bank Scallops; braised pork shank, Siena Farms root vegetables, baby Brussels Sprouts, Chanterelle mushrooms - $32

I loved my entrée, the Seared Georges Bank Scallops ($32), as well. Chef Michael Serpa likes to experiment with contrasting flavors and textures. In this case, the perfectly seared sweet and buttery soft scallops came on top of a bed of rich and savory braised pork shanks. The roasted vegetables, which had absorbed all the deliciousness from the umami of the meat, were offset by the sprinkling of raw sprouts and thinly sliced radishes on top.

I highly recommend this dish.  Not only was the seafood itself seasoned and cooked perfectly, the flavors that accompanied the seafood accentuated it in a way that elevated the entire dish to a high level.

Bryan ordered the "North End Cioppino," ($24) a satisfyingly spicy stew full of grilled fish, shrimp, clams, mussels, and lobster with saffron rice. Bryan loved the surprisingly strong kick in the stew, and really enjoyed the dish a lot.

We were lucky this time. We both liked our own dish better than the other person's dish!

General Thoughts?
Overall, I had a really really good time at this restaurant. I was impressed by the high quality of both the ingredients and the cooking. The service was friendly, although a bit choppy at times. One really nice thing about the wait is that you don't have to hang around. You give them your cell phone number and then they call you when your table is ready. We ended up going to a local wine shop, picking up some cool Italian liqueurs, and then hanging in a cafe until we got called (about a 30 minute wait).

The North End is such a fun place to hang around, it's really not that painful of a wait. It's so interesting to explore the neighborhood. Check out a butchery, any of the wonderful bakeries, or a local Italian market.

There's no doubt. I definitely plan on returning to Neptune Oyster. I really can't wait to try the rest of their menu (like those famous lobster rolls!).

Neptune Oyster
63 Salem St
Boston, MA 02113

Homemade "Oreos" [TKO's]

As a kid, I always scraped off the sugar of my Oreo cookies. I much preferred eating the dark, chocolately cookie alone rather than suffer through the sugary chalky center. I wished for the day when Nabisco would sell the chocolate cookie separately, which it never did.

Then one day, (maybe 20 years later), I tried a TKO ("Thomas Keller Oreo") for the first time at Bouchon Bakery.

Now THIS is no ordinary chocolate sandwich cookie. The cookie itself is dark and richly chocolate-y, while the filling is creamy yet not too sweet. Together, they form the ultimate sandwich cookie that I'm more than happy to eat whole.

No need to dissect my Oreos anymore. These are perfect as is.

But wouldn't it be more perfect if I didn't have to haul myself out to New York, San Francisco, or Las Vegas every time I wanted to taste one of these beauties?

Sometimes, with the help of the internet, life can be even more perfect.

On New Year's Eve, I decided to try making these delectable sandwich cookies.

It was going to be a bit challenging. I didn't have a stand mixer, nor did I have a pastry bag. I hardly had any experience using cookie cutters, rolling pins, or Silpat liners. To top that all off, I'd never used cookie stamps before.

Nevertheless with the help of a friend and the internet, we managed to make a huge successful batch of these delicious sandwich cookies.

I love these cool letter press stamps that I bought in Japan. You can spell out whatever you want and make personalized cookies! Hee hee, I also bought some with Japanese hiragana characters. One of these days I'll make Japanese stamped cookies!

Of course I thought it would be fun to make some Tiny Urban Kitchen cookies.

One word of warning, though (I learned this the hard way), these stamps are best used to make cookies that don't use rising agents (e.g. baking soda, baking powder, yeast). Shortbread cookies or simple butter cookies work the best. Cookies with baking soda in the recipe (like this one) will rise a bit, causing the letters to expand and stretch out.

The best way to deal with this is to stamp after the cookies are done baking.

Once the cookies come out of the oven (while they are still warm and not yet completely hard), stamp them with the letter press. When finished, transfer the cookies to a rack to cool.

Once the cream filling is done, you can assemble the cookie and then serve!

This is definitely a cookie totally worth making over and over. The dark, not-too-sweet chocolate cookie pairs really well with the white chocolate, more intense filling. The bit of salt in the chocolate cookie actually enhances the flavor of chocolate. The individual parts actually don't taste nearly as good separately. They need to be together!

I am so excited that I can make these at home and that they're not THAT hard to make. You don't have to use a pastry bag. We did alright without a stand mixer (although we did need two people at times!), and the stamps are pretty easy to use. Yay! No need to drive all the way to New York just to get my TKO fix anymore (though I still won't hesitate to buy one if I happen to be at a Bouchon Bakery!).

Life is good.

Yes, I realize they look like Whoopie Pies, but trust me, they taste SO MUCH better! I lacked many key baking supplies (such as a pastry bag) so I wasn't able to make the insides look nearly as pretty. I just spread the cream with a knife!

Homemade TKOs
Note: the official recipe from Bouchon Bakery (via the Kitchn) is actually found here. That official version uses weight measurements, which is much more accurate for baking. I would recommend using that recipe if possible. However, for those without a kitchen scale, below is a version from The Essence of Chocolate that uses volume measurements instead. It will be less precise, but still works pretty well. It is the one I used.

Cookie:
1 1/2 cups plus 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
15 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 3/4" cubes, at room temperature

Filling:
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz. white chocolate, chopped

1. For the Filling: In a small pan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute, then whisk to melt the chocolate until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, and let stand for 6 hours to thicken up.

2. For the Cookies: Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and mix to combine. With the mixer running, add the butter, a piece at a time (to avoid clumping). The mixture will be dry and sandy at first, but over 2 minutes, will form pebble-size pieces that start to cling together (see picture in the collage above). Stop the mixture and transfer the dough mixture to a work board.

Jen's comments: I used the above-described method but it was sort of a pain. Check out the official Bouchon Bakery method, which involves creaming the butter and sugar together first and then adding the dry ingredients. I actually think that may be an easier way to go. I definitely to plan on trying that method next time. No need to cube butter!

3. Preheat oven to 350F.

4. Separate dough into 2 pieces. If there's time, refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Roll each piece of dough between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper to 1/8" inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Place 1/2" apart on baking sheets lined with Silpat liners or parchment paper.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Remove. Optionally stamp with letter press. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Cool completely.

6. To Assemble: Lightly whip the white chocolate cream to aerate and fluff up. Transfer filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4" plain tip. Pipe about 1 1/2 tsp in the center of half the cookies. Top with another cookie to sandwich. Gently press down until the cream comes to the edges.

Jen's note: if you don't have a pastry bag, you can just spread the filling with a knife or squeeze the filling out of a cut out plastic bag. I won't look as good, but that won't affect the taste at all! 

Don't try to whip the white chocolate filling early, as it will be too runny. If you want to speed up the thickening process, you can try putting the filling in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!!!! [I know I am!!!]

Wintermelon Soup II

Oh the weather outside is frightful!

Boston just had its first real official blizzard in five years (yes, since 2005!) the day after Christmas. Though travel was a nightmare for many (thankfully we were able to fly back with only a 2-hour delay), for others it was a chance to curl up at home and watch the white powder slowly cover the city in a thick blanket of silence.

To be honest, I love snow storms.

I love how everything comes to a halt during a snowstorm. Schools and businesses close. Busy city streets become eerily quiet. You're forced to slow down from the craziness of everyday life and just wait the storm out.

It's also the perfect opportunity to cook up something warm, restorative, and delicious.

I had winter melon left over from when I made the stop motion animation of Boston out of vegetables (our winter melon slice acted as the Longfellow Bridge!)


I'm not exactly sure why it's called a winter melon, but doesn't the melon look like it's covered with freshly fallen snow?

You can get winter melon at Asian supermarkets. Because the melon is so gigantic, stores typically sell it by the slice. One slice is enough to make a nice big bowl of soup to serve at least four.

In the past, I have always made this soup using pork bones to make a pork-based broth (which is the tradition Asian way of making it). While that version is delicious, it does take more time. Furthermore, it's not that easy to find pork bones all the time. (I couldn't find it at Whole Foods last time I checked).

Stuck with the ingredients I had on hand at home, I made this new, simplified version that uses chicken broth and also adds bacon to the mix.

I loved this new version! The winter melon gives the soup a nice, clean flavor. The bacon adds a nice smokiness to the overall broth, which accentuates the chicken broth nicely.

The recipe below is just a guide. In general, winter melon soup is rather forgiving. As long as you have a soup base, winter melons, and some sort of umami ingredients (e.g., bacon, dried squid, shitake mushrooms), the soup will taste pretty good. I did not add aromatics, but I think a small bit of ginger or chopped scallions would also make this soup taste pretty good.

Winter Melon Soup

about 1 T dried squid, cut into 1-2 cm pieces

6-8 slices of bacon, cut into 3 cm pieces

1 large slice of winter melon, cut into 1-2 cm pieces (1-2 lbs)

4 cups chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

Other optional ingredients
shitake mushrooms (sliced)
cilantro (garnish)
chopped scallions  (garnish)
ginger (1 inch piece, sliced or julienned)

Saute dried squid and bacon (and optionally mushrooms) with about 1 T oil for about 3-4 minutes, or until the bacon begins to render its fat and turns translucent. Add winter melon and fill up the pot with chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then back down to simmer. Cook at low heat for 30-40 minutes, or until the winter melon is nice and soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Optionally add garnishes.

Serve!

Stay warm!