New Dinner By Lany Tutorial Video!

Dinner By Lany Presents Peach & Ginger Glazed Salmon from Lany Phlong on Vimeo.

Miso Clam Chowder with Green Grapes and Heirloom Cherry Tomato Salad with Rocket and Arugula

I love New England. 

I sometimes (okay, maybe all the time) fantasize about the region's seafood. 

Unfortunately, aside from the few shrimp shumai dumplings I inhaled during  

hungover dim sum brunches in Boston's Chinatown,

I don't really have that much experience dining in 

New England restaurants. 

When I found out that we were spending a weekend on 

an island in Maine, I was beyond excited to taste the 

briny treasures New England had to offer. 

The bad news was that the island did not have any 

fish markets or seafood restaurants, 

but was inhabited solely by lake houses 

of all shapes and sizes. 

The good news was that I was so taken by the picturesque landscape, crystal blue waters and warm and fuzzy sunsets, that I forgot about my mission to gorge on New England seafood until I was dizzy with crustacean delight. 

Can you really blame me? 

Merman of Maine

This is what we MAINLY  did in MAINE, hehe... get it?
MAINLY? MAINE?
ahem...moving along. 

Find the cook! 

Warm and fuzzy sunsets

Please don't fret. 

I did have the opportunity to feast on amazing clam chowder at a wedding reception I attended while on the island.  

It was as cozy as a vintage cashmere sweater. 

When I returned home, I knew I had to replicate the dish... 

with my own spin, of course! 

I thought to myself, what can I do to contribute to an already perfect dish?  After rummaging through my refrigerator for a couple of minutes, I found a plastic container of miso leftover from miso salmon night! 

Meee Soooo Craazyyyy to add MEEESOOOO to CHOOWDDDAAAH???

Why, yes. I believe that I am. 

Let's begin! 

  

Open sesame! 

I am not a fan of celery, so I decided
to use carrots instead!
The burst of sweet loveliness that
comes with this popular veggie will
balance the salty  perfectly!

Thick.Cut.Bacon.
Par-don, lar-dons. Why are you so lovely?

I didn't have any white wine to cook my clams in,
but I found this lifesaver rolling around
in the back of my fridge! 

All you need for garlic croutons

Mmmmmm...

My new obsession, green grapes in my salad

Warm and fuzzy, like a Maine sunset

Miso Clam Chowder
Adapted from Recipe from Food and Wine Magazine
serves 6 to 8

1 bottle of your favorite lager

4 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed

6 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch matchsticks

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 carrot, finely diced

1 teaspoon chopped thyme

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tablespoons white miso paste

1 cup of  half-and-half

3 Yukon Gold potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 stalks of scallions, thinly sliced

1. In a soup pot, bring lager and 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add the clams, cover and cook over high heat until the clams open, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the clams to a bowl; discard any that do not open. Remove the clams from their shells and rinse to remove any sand, then coarsely chop them. Strain the broth into a heatproof bowl, stopping before you reach the sand at the bottom; you should have 3 cups.

2. Rinse out the pot and dry it. Add the butter and bacon and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and golden, about 6 minutes. Add the chopped onion, garlic, carrots, thyme and bay leaves and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the miso. Gradually add the clam broth. Add the half and half and 1 cup of water to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the potato cubes and season lightly with salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for about 8 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

3. Using the back of a spoon, crush a few of the potatoes against the side of the pot to thicken the soup slightly. Add the reserved clams and simmer just until heated through. Discard the bay leaves. Serve the soup in bowls, top with sliced scallions.

Bobby Flay's Miso-Ginger Salmon with Arugula and Grapefruit Salad and Miso Dressing

I love burnt toast.  

The crunchy black burnt bits always 
brings a smile to my stomach. 

I adore grilled food because it gives 
EVERYTHING the crunchy burnt bits that I adore so dearly.

Unfortunately, I live in a city where only 
a lucky few are graced with access to outdoor space.  
That's not to say I am completely void of one, but I'm almost certain that it's illegal to grill on my fire escape. 

I had to come up with an alternative.

So I bought a snazzy grill pan!

Of course, a grill pan will not replicate the delectable charcoal flavor, but you WILL achieve a crisp black beautiful char.  

I recommend using this bad mamma jamma right here: 

Circulon Contempo Nonstick 12" Round Grill Pan
  
My kitchen has an electric stove (I know, I know) with round 
ranges, so the circular shape of the pan is 
perfect for even heat distribution.  The result? 
Beautiful solid Sharpie black grill marks on
your favorite roasted pepper or steak.     

Now why did I bring up this char jibber jabber? 
Oh, yeah. Bobby Flay.  Mr. Big Red Rico Suave a Grill. 

I found this recipe online and as soon as 
I saw that it was a Bobby Flay dish, 
I knew that it was time for 
my grill pan to come out and play. 

I must warn you, searing your food indoors using 
a scorching pan will most likely smoke up your apartment like  
a bad 80's video set.  The taste, however, that you will achieve 
with this technique will make you 
wanna dance like you're Tawny Kitaen.  

Bobby Flay's Miso-Ginger Salmon

Serves 4

1/4 cup white miso (fermented soybean paste)

1/4 cup mirin

2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons minced green onions

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

4 salmon fillets, 8 ounces each

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Yuzu juice, for drizzling, optional

1. Whisk together the miso, mirin, vinegar, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, and sesame oil in a small bowl. 

2. Reserve a small portion to use as your dressing. 

3. Place the salmon in a baking dish, pour the marinade over, and turn to coat. 

4 Cover and marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

5. Heat grill to high. Remove the fish from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. 

6. Grill the salmon, skin side down, with the cover closed, until golden brown and a crust has formed, about 3 to 4 minutes. 

7 Turn the salmon over and continue grilling for 3 to 4 minutes for medium doneness. 

8. Drizzle with a little yuzu juice, if desired, and serve.

Momofuku Inspired Lettuce Wraps, Cambodian Family Edition

Large family meals can be a bit intimidating to organize. 

Whenever I'm asked to do a dinner party with more than 5 patrons, 

family style is always the way to go. 

Family style forces interaction because,

let's face it, if you don't speak up, 

you're going to miss out on  

half the meal on the other end of the table.  

When my own family asked me to throw a 

dinner party while in town, 

a few things popped into my head.

1. Why are they always asking me to cook when I'm in town??

2. Definitely doing family style. Keep it simple.

3. Definitely doing Momofuku inspired lettuce wraps. 

I had the Pork Butt dinner a few months back at 

Momofuku Ssam bar and 

it was pure genius. 

The concept of pairing perfectly cooked and seasoned protein with lettuce leaves, amazing sauce and crunchy veggies seemed like something I could easily duplicate at home. 

With my own spin, of course. 

On the menu?

Meat

Red Snapper

Tamarind Lime Pork Tenderloins

Garlic Sirloin Steaks 

Sauce

Momofuku Octo vin  

Momofuku Scallion Ginger 

Kim Chee

Quick Pickled Summer Beef Steak Tomatoes with 

Cambodian Anchovies

Crunchy

Red Leaf Lettuce

Red, Green, Yellow Peppers

Cucumber

Bean Sprout

Garlic Ginger Jasmine Rice

Feel free to contact me if you're in the NYC area and you and 

your family want to give this meal a try! 

lany@dinnerbylany.com

Season your meat! 

Here's a tip, scallions are better than regular onion in salads because they add a more gentle onion flavor. 

Sauce numero uno! 

Sauce numero DOS! 

Red Snapper's firm sweet flesh makes it perfect for roasting. 

Dancing, there is always dancing. 

My favorite meat to cook, PORK!

I told you... I love Red Snapper! 

Mmmmmm....

He made a burrito with the leftovers!
Basically, he piled several layers of pork and steak and formed a sushi like roll.  Next, he wrapped it tightly in aluminum foil. I can post the recipe, but honestly, I think that was the only step. 

Momofuku Octo Vin Sauce 

I love this sauce.  This sauce is great with any meat, but it's especially delicious with Fried Chicken! Also, don't be lazy and use a food processor to finely chop your garlic and ginger.  Let your knife skills shine and try chopping with a chef's knife! 

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger

1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thai-bird chili pepper or pepper of your choice

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup light soy sauce

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or other oil)

1/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Mix ingredients together. 

Tamarind Cooking Class in Luang Prabang

I took a lot of cooking classes while in Asia,
but the most memorable class is without a doubt the one I took with the instructors at Tamarind restaurant in Luang Prabang.

I am not the biggest fan of Laotian food,
but the unique experience that Tamarind's cooking class offered
was as delicious as a meaty slab of ribs!

Before we headed out to the kitchen site, 
we made a quick stop to the town's center market. 

Refrigeration is almost nonexistent in Southeast Asia, 
so the inventory consisted of only produce and 
protein harvested earlier that morning.    


I'm sure you can imagine my excitement 
when the instructor informed us that we were 
allowed to select one unusual item 
to cook during class.  

My ears immediately perked up.

The opportunity to pick something from a market  
that would have made Whole Foods feel not so whole
just tickled me silly.  

Vats of stinky, fishy, intensely flavored fermented fish. MmmmMMmm...

Giddy, I knew exactly what I wanted to cook. I've seen this ingredient plenty of times while strolling the streets of Chinatown, but I had no clue how to use it.

Ribbet.

"Are you sure?"

"Yup."

"Mmmmmk."

After I handed him my toad, I began to roam the 
market with wide eyeballs and inflamed 
nostrils taking in the vibrant colors and  
inhaling unappreciated smells. 

We then regrouped, gathered the rest of the 

ingredients needed and hopped onto the back of a pickup truck. 

After spending 45 minutes turning and swerving down   

bumpy nameless dirt roads, 

we parked near a desolate open area 

in the middle of a jungle.

Alongside swaying banana trees and giggling monkeys 

sat our kitchen. 

 And our oven!

Before we started cooking, the instructor 

asked me if I wanted to butcher my own LIVE frog.  

I have YET to kill any other animal at this point, 

so I lowered my head in shame and declined.

Seriously, though. 

The job of butchering a live frog seemed a bit daunting.

Here's another picture of my lonely frog.

One more. 

I really need to learn not play with my food.

The frog meat was used in the Laotian version of Amok.  

The difference between Cambodian Amok and Laos Amok 

is that the Laotian curry does not include 

the addition of coconut milk.

Other dishes that we made that day 

included a Chicken Lemongrass pop...

and of course dessert! 

Black rice steamed in coconut milk served 

with tropical fruit.  

Because of my raging sweet tooth, 

this was my favorite of all.

Chicken Lemongrass Pops

I chose to feature this recipe because I'm fairly certain people  are not into buying live frogs to cook and eat.  However, if you are feeling adventurous, give me a holler and I will gladly send you the recipe! 

12 stalks of lemongrass

5 cloves of garlic

4-6 spring onions

1/2 – 3/4 cup of fresh coriander

1 kaffir lime leaf

teaspoon of salt

1/2 pound of minced chicken

Preparing the Lemongrass

1. Using a small sharp knife, start cutting about 1cm from the base of the lemongrass stem. Make cuts lengthwise through the stalk about 4-5cm in length – without letting the cuts reach either the base or the cut top end of the stalk.  

2. Rotate the lemongrass and repeat the cuts at small intervals, until the outer stalk are separated – basket-like – creating a central hole for the filling.

Stuffing

1. All of these ingredients except the minced chicken are pounded in a mortar and pestle, then the minced chicken is added and mixed well.

2. The next step is to push a spoonful of the mixture into the central core of each stalk, then shape and smooth it out with your hands.

3. Dip the stuffed lemongrass in beaten egg (you’ll need two eggs) and fry them in a wok (stalks protruding and resting on the side so they can be easily withdrawn) until the meat is browned and cooked.

Momofuku Fried Chicken and Spicy Tamarind Dipping Sauce with Roasted GARLIC Caesar Salad "Steak"

I'm not going to lie.

This fried chicken took a long time to make.

If you don't love and enjoy the process of cooking,

skip this recipe.

BUT! If you are willing to leap over metaphorical mountains inorder to sink your teeth into one of the moistest (I hate that word, moist. Eck.) chickens you'll ever eat, please accept the challenge and begin the fried chicken journey.

I'm not going to post Momofuku's recipe, because it can be found here. BUT! I will warn you that this chicken will require

brining, steaming, AND frying.

Yeah.

Make sure you love the process.

I will, however, post the GARLIC caesar dressing and tamarind recipe. Please see below. Best. Lany :)

Roasted GARLIC Caesar Dressing

Please note that there is a lot of garlic in this recipe (hence the all caps). If you're not a huge fan of garlic, you can reduce the amount used and please use lowercase letters.

P.S. I call it a "steak" because the romaine was left whole.

1 head of garlic
1 1/2 cups of olive oil
6 anchovies, minced (oh, just add it and stop being a wuss!)
1/4 cup of dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. 

3. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic

4. Place the garlic head on a sheet of foil and drizzle half of the olive oil on top, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Wrap the foil up tightly and place wrapped bulb on baking sheet.  

5. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.

6. Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it without burning yourself. 

7. Use a small small knife cut the skin slightly around each clove. 

8. Remove the cloves from the oil, reserving the oil, and in a medium bowl, mash until smooth.

9. Stir in the anchovies and mustard. While stirring, add the lemon juice, vinegar. Continue stirring and add the reserved roasted garlic oil and additional oil in a slow steady stream.

10. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.

11. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate until needed.


Tamarind Dipping Sauce

I eat this sauce like how I ate mayo in highschool (thank goodness I got over THAT phase). I eat it with everything - fish, chicken, pork, steak, a nice platter of crudite, whatever needs a little kick.


2 tablespoons of tamarind paste
2 limes, juiced
1 red thai chili pepper, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
salt and pepper to taste

Garnish with 1 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

Mix the first 5 ingredients until well blended. Top with chopped cilantro.

Lazy (Okay, Maybe Not So Lazy) Chicken Curry Burritos with Coconut Corn Lime Salad

I had an idea. My eureka moment came while I was eating curry with my hands because my fork accidently fell on the ground and was left with no utensil to finish my remaining two bites. 

Anyway, this idea came to me as I was licking my fingers clean.  I thought, why couldn't curry be a utensil free dish? Why shouldn't we compact all of my curry bits into something that will allow one to consume while walking or standing? Why couldn't I put curry in a... beautiful, steamed, chewy TORTILLA?! Boom. I began to put my plan into action. Let's begin.

Scoured my spice cabinet for some curry friendly flavors. I added a tablespoon of each into a mug.

Dusted my boneless and skinless chicken thighs with said spice. Set aside to allow the ingredients get to know each other.

I needed a pico de gallo alternative. So, I found these sweet mini peppers that will add the perfect crunch and sweetness to my burrito.

I also added half of a red onion to the mix.

Diced them up and added them to a nonreactive bowl.

Bang up a few garlic cloves with the back of your cleaver. This is a good aggression release exercise.  Mince finely and then add that to your peppers and onions.

Now, segment two limes for optimal juicin' and squirt them into your bowl.

Finally, my favorite, Add two tablespoons of fish sauce. Mix and set aside.

Now for the third component! The garlic and basil rice that will substitute basic spanish white rice.

Chiffonade basil leaves (thai basil would be better, but I didn't have any on hand) and mince three big garlic cloves.

Heat a skillet and melt a tablespoon of butter. Add garlic until fragrant then once cup of rice.  Toast lightly, throw in basil. 

Once basil is lightly wilted, throw everything in a rice cooker and  add water. Turn it on and let the rice cooker work it's magic!

Okay, I guess you realize now that this burrito requires

a lot of prep work.

Hang in there. I assure you, it will be worth it!

Let's start roasting some corn!

Shuck and throw the corn in a cast iron skillet, occasionally rolling it around until a nice char is achieved.  I'm such a sucker for a beautiful char. One of my favorite things in the world is burnt toast. Weird? Maybe.  

Off with their ears!

Usually, I would shave off my own coconut. But today I felt particularly lazy and decided to buy store bought flakes.  Because, hey. That's okay too.

Next, add the juice of two limes.

Squirt.

Sprinkle a touch of salt and pepper to taste and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Toss in some thinly sliced green onions...

and, you're done!

Actually, you're not. You still have to cook the burrito.

To make it quick, I created a little montage for you.

I call it the curry swirl.

Add your seasoned and sliced chicken thighs and stir occasionally until chicken is cooked through.

Assemble.

Roll it up and serve with your corn salad.  Now take a bite and smile because you now have one less fork to wash at the end of the end. Oh wait, you need one for your corn salad. Ah... nevermind. Cheers!

Chicken Curry Burritos with Sweet Pepper Pico De Gallo and Basil Garlic Rice

Serves 6

Chicken Curry Burritos

1 lb of boneless skinless chicken thighs (THINLY SLICED)

2 tbs of green curry paste

1 can of coconut milk

1 package of flour tortillas

Seasoning for chicken thighs:

 1 tsp of cumin

 1 tbs of paprika

 1 tbs of salt

 1 tsp of pepper

 1 tbs of cayenne

 1 tsp of dry mustard

1. Mix seasoning in small bowl and dust washed, dried and thinly sliced chicken thighs. Set aside.

2. Begin making BASIL GARLIC RICE and PICO De GALLO.  Recipes are below. 

3. In large shallow heated pan (medium/high heat), add coconut milk.  Once boiled, add curry paste and stir. Add chicken to curry mixture. Once cooked through, remove from heat.

4. Steam your tortillas in a steamer basket or toast on a lightly oiled skillet on medium to low heat.

5. Assemble your burrito with chicken, basil rice and pico de gallo.  Wrap your burrito.  Serve with Roasted Corn and Coconut salad.  Recipe is below.

Basil and Garlic Scented Rice

1 tbs of olive oil

3 large garlic gloves, minced

1/2 cup of chiffonaded basil

1 cup of jasmin rice

2 cups of water

1. Add 1 tbs of olive oil to heated skillet

2. Lightly sautee garlic until fragrant, add your rice until lightly toast.

3. Add basil.

4. Empty contents into a rice cooker and add water. Turn on rice cooker.

Sweet Pepper Pico De Gallo

8 small sweet peppers, diced

1/2 of red onion, diced

2 limes

2 tablespoons fish sauce

3 cloves of garlic minced

1. Combine all of the ingredients into a nonreactive bowl. Toss and allow to marinate for atleast an hour.

Roasted Sweet Corn with Coconut Salad

4 large summer corns

1 cup of coconut flakes

2 limes

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat cast iron skillet on high. Once hot, add corn to skillet. Turn frequently until desired char is achieved. Remove from pan.

2. Shave off corn ears with a sharp blade into a bowl.

3. Add 1 cup of coconut flakes, the juice of two limes, fish sauce and salt and pepper. Toss.