Homemade Soy Milk

As a daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, I grew up loving the taste of fresh soymilk. Fresh soymilk is such a staple in a traditional Taiwanese breakfast, where it is often enjoyed hot with a deep fried culler (you tiao) and a sesame flatbread (shao bing).

When I was a kid, my mom used to make fresh soybean milk at home. The process was laborious. First, you soak soybeans in waer overnight. Then you steam the soy beans, blend them (in small batches), squeeze out the milk with a cheesecloth, and then slowly cook the entire mixture again over low heat.

The process would take all day, but the results were delicious.

More recently, my mom told me that my uncle (who is vegan) now makes soymilk at home using his Vitamix blender. Since I have a Blenctec blender at home, I decided to try it myself.

Wow.

I don’t think I’m ever going to buy soymilk at the market again. Not only is this stuff delicious, it only costs  a few cents to make (even organic soy beans are pretty cheap), and I can make it anytime I crave soy milk.

First of all, I do want to clarify that the soymilk that comes out of the Blendtec tastes like fresh, Asian soymilk. It has the full glory of the soy bean taste, which I love, but which some people may find to be too strong.

This does not taste like Silk vanilla flavored soymilk. Instead, it tastes more like the thick, creamy stuff you can buy in Chinatown.

I think it’s absolutely delicious.

First, it’s crucial that you soak the beans, preferably overnight.
Next, you must cook them. I usually steam the beans for about 45 minutes on the stovetop, which works pretty well.

Once the beans are cooked, fill up your blender (in batches, if necessary), with a ratio of 2:1 (water:beans). I’ve been using the whole juice setting on the Blendtec, which essentially pulverizes the beans and forms this thick, creamy milk that’s chock full of protein and fiber. I think the smoothie setting works fine as well.

Some people are perfectly happy to drink the soymilk in this raw form. The texture is slightly thick and a bit gritty, so it's more of an acquired taste.

If you like a smoother soy milk (like the ones in the supermarkets), as a last step you can filter this thick liquid through a cheese cloth. This removes the thick, fibrous part of the bean and results in a fresh, velvety, silk-like texture.

Optionally add sugar and enjoy!

You can enjoy it hot with you tiao (Chinese fried crullers), or chilled and sweetened as a beverage.


Homemade Soy Milk
1 cup dried soy beans
4-6 cups water
sugar (optional)

Soak the beans in water overnight. Make sure the beans are well covered by the water, since they will expand quite a bit. Drain the water and steam the beans for about 45 minutes. Blend the beans and water (about 2:1 water:bean ratio by volume) on the "whole juice" or "smoothie" setting of the Blendtec (50-90 seconds, or until well pulverized). If a smooth soy milk is desired, filter through a cheesecloth. Optionally add sugar to taste.

Chill or enjoy warm.

Food Blogging & Photography Workshop at ITASA in Atlanta

Did you ever think Taiwanese meat sauce over rice could look so beautiful?

I was floored and blown away by the creativity of the students at my workshop this past weekend at the annual East Coast ITASA (Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association) Conference at Georgia Tech University.

Yes! I gave my first food blogging workshop and it was super fun! Here's a recap of what I talked about, as well as some photos from the workshop itself!



I spent part of the time talking about how I got started with blogging, and then what I did to "take it to the next level." I emphasized the importance of picking a strong blog name that really identified who you are. Ideally, pick a url with a "dot com" ending.

For fun, I flashed up on the screen various names and logos I had toyed with before settling on Tiny Urban Kitchen.

Next, I gave some tips on how I took my personal "blogspot" blog to the next level.

1. Focus on creating high quality content! (good writing, photography, voice, etc)
2. Spread the word about your blog!  (e.g., visit & comment on other blogs, submit photos to photo aggregating sites like Tastespotting, etc)

Of course, it still takes a lot of hard work, time, and effort before people may start to recognize or find an excellent blog. However, I'm convinced that if you create really good content and you get yourself out there, people will notice and if they like you, they will stay and become faithful readers.

It's impossible to cover all aspects of food photography in 30 minutes, but I did give some key tips on easy ways to improve one's food photography.

"First and foremost, try your hardest to take pictures in daylight. The color of natural sunlight just makes photos look so much better. When I'm in a restaurant, I will often request to sit next to a window just so I can take advantage of the light!"

Obviously, you can't always take pictures in daylight, especially in the evenings! In those cases, white balancing a photo can make a world of a difference.

Above is a before and after picture showing how simply white balancing a photo improves it dramatically.

I also gave many more examples of various types of photo compositions, showing what works and what does not! Finally, I gave several food styling tips, such as "add splashes of color" and "create borders and space."

Cooking Demonstration! Taiwanese Meat over Rice

In the middle of the workshop, I showed them how to make one of my favorite and easy college-friendly Taiwanese dishes, "loh-bah bng" ("lu ro fan" in Mandarin, or literally "stewed meat rice").

For the last half hour, I split everyone up into teams of eight people, and told them to try styling this inherently ugly dish!

Off they go . . .

And then . . . wow! Aren't these gorgeous?

I was seriously floored by the creativity and artistry of these students!

Please come by the facebook page to see larger images and also to vote on your favorite!

Cheers!

Boston Rescue Mission Fundraising Update

I am thrilled to report that the Tiny Urban Kitchen fund has currently raised over $3700 for the Boston Rescue Mission!

Thanks so much for those of you who donated generously to help those in need. Homelessness is a serious problem in Massachusetts.

On Superbowl Sunday, fellow food bloggers Michelle from Fun, Fearless in Beantown, Elina from Healthy and Sane, Meghan from Travel, Wine, and Dine, and I spent our afternoon cooking and serving our ever-so-popular bacon wrapped pork loin at the Boston Rescue Mission Sunday Community Dinner.



We had a fabulous time. These gals ROCK in the kitchen. Even though there were only four of us, we were able to get everything chopped, prepped, and put in the oven with over an hour to spare.

The guests who came to eat absolutely loved the meal. Some said, "this is the best meal I've had all week." Others were super appreciative, thanking us for giving up our Superbowl Sunday in order to serve them.

I was really touched, hearing from all these folks. It just made me appreciate so much more what the Boston Rescue Mission, along with many other local organizations, are doing to fight homelessness in our city.

Heart for the Homeless Reception, Eastern Bank, Boston

Speaking of other organizations, this past week I also had the wonderful opportunity to attend a reception called "Heart for the Homeless." Ten organizations dedicated to fighting homelessness came together at this event. It was a great chance to meet other supporters, as well as learn a bit more about homelessness in Massachusetts. I was inspired to see so many people who had a heart to solve this problem.

Thanks so much all for your support in trying to continue chipping away at this immense but (hopefully) solvable problem!

The Tiny Urban Kitchen Fundraiser will be coming to a close at the end of this month, so if you're interested in donating, please do so in the next two weeks! You can also check out the really nice article they wrote about Tiny Urban Kitchen here.

To donate please click here or on the image below and click on the "2011 Tiny Urban Kitchen Fundraiser."

Grilled Skirt Steak (Tacos)

Unlike most American cooks, I am woefully inexperienced when it comes to cooking meat.

I guess we seldom (if ever) grilled meat at home growing up. My mom never made large roasts in the oven, or baked a whole chicken. Instead, our meals were predominantly Chinese stir fry dishes, which typically consists of tiny, cut up pieces of meat quickly cooked with tons of vegetables.

I'm not exactly complaining. I'm a vegetable lover at heart, and it if weren't for my love of sushi, I could seriously consider becoming a vegetarian.

Nevertheless, writing this blog has made me expand my horizons and explore areas I never dabbled in before.

Even though it's the middle of "winter" (umm, where's the snow?), we rolled out the grill last week in order to make skirt steak tacos.

I am continuously surprised at how easy it is to cook meat.

This skirt steak recipe is really simple; doesn't require too much advance planning; and tastes delicious. Just marinate the steak in a lovely concoction of lime juice, blood orange juice, garlic, and cilantro for about 30 minutes. It grills up beautifully and tastes fantastic.

We made used them to make tacos, but you could easily make fajitas, sandwiches, or any other dish that requires small pieces of sliced up steak.

What is Skirt Steak?
For those of you who have never cooked skirt steak, it's a cut of beef that comes from the diaphragm of the cow. It's a long, thin piece and is a bit harder to find in normal super markets. In fact, when I asked for it at Whole Foods, they had to go to the back to get me a piece.

Skirt steak is known for its nice flavor (look at that marbling!) but is also a tougher cut of meat. Therefore, it's best to marinate it, grill it quickly, and cut across the grain.

I adapted a simple marinade that I found for carne asadas (literally "roasted meat" in Spanish, often used for Mexican dishes like fajitas, tacos, etc.) by adding blood orange and a fancier vinegar for a brighter kick.

Combine lime juice, white wine vinegar, blood orange juice, cilantro, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until nicely pulverized and blended.

Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.

Take out your snazzy grill tools (thanks Mr. Bar-B-Q for this awesome grill set!)

Put on your warmest down coat, and start grilling! (Thanks Bryan!!)
Skirt steak is a tougher cut, so you don't want to overcook it. I would suggest about 2-3 minutes a side, giving you a nice medium to medium rare steak.

Let rest for about 10 minutes, and then cut against the grain as shown above.

Serve!

Make tacos, fajitas, or whatever you fancy. Enjoy!

If making tacos, here are some great accompaniments:
Chipotle Mayo
Pico de gallo
Guacamole


Grilled Skirt Steak
1 lb skirt steak

Marinade
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 T white wine vinegar
juice of 1/2 blood orange
juice of 1 lime

Combine all marinade ingredients in a food processor and pulse until all the elements are finely chopped (just a few times should be enough!). Salt and pepper both sides of the skirt steak and marinate in the marinade for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.

Remove the steak from the marinade, pat dry, and grill at high heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Let the steak rest for about 10 minutes. Slice against the grain and serve!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer I received the grill tools free of charge from Mr. Bar-B-Q

Om (dinner)

We’d been to Om a long time ago, for brunch only.

Even though it’s quite close to where we live, Bryan and I never really had much interest in trying it out. Perhaps it was the mediocre reviews we read. Or perhaps it’s because Upstairs on the Square, one of our favorite summer hangouts, was always right across the street, beckoning.

This changed when we heard that Patricia Yeo, previously from Ginger Park (and before that, many places, including Mesa Grill and AZ in New York), was going to become the new executive chef.  

How often does a chef move from New York City to Boston to open up a place?

One evening last fall, when the weather was still barely warm enough for us to sit outside, we walked over to Om to try Chef Yeo’s new menu.

 The food on the menu at Om is definitely Asian in nature, with some dishes that seem quite authentic and others that are more fusion in nature.

We both loved the complimentary popcorn and fried wonton strips mix that they gave us at the beginning. The aromatic use of 5-spice was deliciously fragrant.

We started with some potstickers as well as some “momos” (essentially steamed dumplings in a sauce). Regrettably, the potstickers were unacceptably salty. Admittedly I tend to be more sentitive to salt than your average American, but even Bryan though they were way to salty. Someone must have accidentally dropped a whole bucket of salt into the pork filling by mistake. It was that bad.

I think I ate one and a half before deciding I just couldn't eat it anymore.

The Momo's were much more tolerable. Homemade, with a light soy based dipping sauce.
 Bryan ordered an Asian-inspired salad, which was solid. The roasted duck breast was perfectly cooked (sous-vide, perhaps?), and tossed together in a light yet flavorful dressing.
I loved my Green Papaya and Herb Salad, which boasted bold Southeast Asian flavors (think fish sauce, cilantro, and lime) along with the lovely, fresh crunch of the vegetables and the peanuts. I really liked this dish.

Bryan's homemade fusilli was excellent. The mushrooms lent a gorgeous, earthy flavor to the overall light yet umami-filled, flavorful dish.

Thoughts?
As a nightclub/lounge, Om has a really cool vibe. I can see why you'd want to come by, have a drink, and enjoy the dark, minimalistic environment.

As a restaurant, Om's not bad, with certain dishes that were quite solid. However, certain misses have made me hesitate to return again.

Patricia Yeo is currently working on opening up a new Asian-fusion tapas-style (dim sum?) bar and lounge (with a restaurant inside) called Moksa in Central Square. I am hoping (fingers crossed!) that it will be a great addition to Central Square, complete with excellent food at reasonable prices. Maybe the salty dumplings were a fluke, and Moksa will showcase Patricia Yeo's true talent.

I'm anxiously awaiting the opening of Moksa, which will hopefully satisfy the "dim sum" craving in all of us.

Let's hope!

Om Restaurant and Lounge
92 Winthrop St 
Cambridge, MA 02138

Area Four

A massive, fire-roaring brick oven in the center of the room.

A huge chalkboard neatly filled with the day’s food and drink offerings.

Floor-to-ceiling windows streaming in tons of sunlight.

The moment I entered into the space, I instinctively told myself, “I love this vibe.” Area Four is modern yet relaxed; trendy yet chill. It’s very, very Cambridge. I immediately decided I really, really wanted to love this place. Who wouldn’t want such a cool and inviting space to also have fantastic food?

Thankfully, after that visit, Area Four has become one of my favorite new restaurants in Cambridge.

The huge oven signaled to us that we should at least try their pizzas, as that seems to be one of their specialties. Bryan and I opted for a caramelized onion pizza. I also ordered a Brussels Sprouts salad, recommended highly by our server.

The Brussels Sprouts salad consisted of shredded Brussels sprouts and kale, shaved Parmesan, and toasted hazelnuts. I loved the idea of such rustic, healthy ingredients. We thought that the salad was a little under-dressed and could have benefited from just a little bit more tartness (from citrus, maybe?) and just a tad more oil. Other than that, the ingredients were extremely fresh and the salad was definitely quite healthy!

We loved the smoked fish pate, which went perfectly with the crackers.They even gave us extra "toasts" after we ran out.

We split the caramelized onion pizza between the two of us. We were both really pleasantly surprised at how good this pizza was. The crust is thin and slightly crispy, with just enough chew to make the pie quite satisfying to eat.

I really enjoyed the flavor combination of the sweet caramelized onions, savory tomato sauce, cheese, and fragrant basil. Seriously, it's become one of my new favorite pizza places in Cambridge (though I still reserve soft spots for some of my other favorites!)

Homemade vanilla soft serve

I have a super weak spot for soft serve, so I was thrilled to find a place that actually makes it fresh from scratch (hard to find non-yogurt places that still offer this!). You could still see the little specs of vanilla bean in their ice cream.The ice cream was light and refreshing, though I decided that I still much preferred the ice cream from some of my favorite, dedicated ice cream shops.

Their coffee is excellent. We tried their French Press, which they serve tableside.

Overall, my first visit to Area Four was excellent. I loved the ambiance, the food, the location, and everything else!

Of course, I've only had a brief sampling of the menu, so it's hard to know what everything else is like. Nevertheless, I am thrilled about this place (along many other great places) opening up in Kendall Square. Bummed it didn't happen while I was a student at MIT, but I'm still excited it's happening now.

Area Four
500 Technology Square
Cambridge, MA 02139