Korean Fish Bread or Bungeoppang 붕어빵

 

A few months into the pandemic and I became hooked on K-drama (Korean drama). I mean seriously HOOKED!  It all started by binge watching Crash Landing On You on Netflix.  It's gotten to the point where all I'm watching these days is Korean television, be it a drama or reality show.  I even enrolled in a virtual Korean language course at the beginning of the year in an attempt to understand the shows without the aid of subtitles...hahaha...ㅋㅋㅋ!  

One common element you'll notice in any K-drama is the omnipresence of food.  From ramen to tteokbokki, gimbap to jjajangmyeon, the delicious looking food could really be its own character. Previously, my foray into Korean cuisine was limited to the bbq, but watching the dramas has introduced me to so much more.   My cravings for Korean food has increased exponentially in the last year because of it.

 

 

A decade ago I had visited Seoul and I still remember the amazing selection of street food that was offered. In particular, I distinctly recall Korean Fish Bread or Bungeoppang 붕어빵 being sold everywhere.  Despite it's name Korean Fish Bread is really a filled waffle based on Japanese taiyaki.   The ones I had seen back then were filled with sweetened red bean paste, but nowadays there are so many options to choose from, e.g., custard, chocolate or savory like cheese, pizza, etc. 

 

I wanted to recreate the bungeoppang at home and it started with getting the right equipment, a fish shaped waffle iron.  Luckily I was able to find a relatively inexpensive one quite easily on Amazon.  The next challenge was finding the right batter recipe.   I tried multiple homemade batter recipes (documented on my Instagram highlights) and none of them delivered what I was looking for: a fluffy interior and a crunchy, golden brown exterior.  The taiyaki sold at SomiSomi is the gold standard I was after.  Ironically, the batter that came closest (so far) to producing the results I wanted was a pre-made hotcake mix from the Japanese brand Morinaga.  Go figure?  Obviously I would prefer a from scratch batter but when none is to be had I'll happily go the mix route.  To make things easy for myself I used a store bought sweetened red bean paste for the filling    I'll continue searching for a homemade bread recipe but for now I can buy the mix and enjoy 붕어빵 anytime I want.

Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)

It was love at first bite when I tasted the famous Pastéis de Nata in Lisbon a few years ago. The combination of creamy, rich custard and crispy, flaky crust was too good to pass up.   I don't think I let a day go by during my stay in Portugal when I didn't indulge in those delicious pastries.

As a souvenir from my trips I brought back a few dozen pastel de nata tins with every intention of creating them at home.   Who would have known that two years later and I only managed one attempt at making the tarts.  Much to my disappointment the results I got were less than stellar, honestly they were crap, so I basically gave up.   I just couldn't seem to find a recipe that worked for the home kitchen.  That is, until now! 

The authentic recipe I had been looking for came by way of Jeremiah Duartes Bills, a Portuguese-American baker I follow on Instagram.  He was offering an online pastéis de nata class and I signed up immediately.  The format was a three hour virtual Zoom class where the students would bake alongside Jeremiah.  Although there were more than thirty five students the class still felt quite intimate and Jeremiah was a great instructor who answered our questions and proffered baking tips.  Three hours went by in a flash.

 
The recipe he used for the class was based on one he was taught in a pastel de nata workshop.  By the looks of my tarts and those of my fellow students I can happily report that his recipe really worked.  I couldn't believe how well they turned out, almost as if I was transported back to pastelharia Manteigaria in Chiado.  I sent pictures of my pastéis to a Portuguese colleague and even he said they looked like the real thing.  If that's not a seal of approval I don't know what is.   If you love pastéis de nata as much as I do I highly recommend you give this recipe a try and also take Jeremiah's class.  Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Special obrigada to Jeremiah for the fantastic class and also giving me permission to share his pastéis de nata  recipe on my blog.  I hope he'll be offering more classes on Portuguese baking because I'll be one of the first to sign up.  Also, be on the lookout for his upcoming cookbook, "The Baking of Portugal."

Leek & Gruyère Quiche

Recently I hosted Sunday brunch for work colleagues at my house.  The food, drink and company were excellent, if I do say so myself, and everyone seemed to have a great time.  As with all gatherings, when it came to prepping for the party I erred on the side of over-buying for fear that I wouldn't have enough food, which then led to a surplus of ingredients.  

When I opened my fridge to survey the leftovers what immediately caught my eye were eggs, heavy cream, milk, leeks and Gruyère.  Perfect!  I had everything I needed to make quiche.   I love these savory French tarts and as a student in Dijon would eat them almost daily.  To this day I still think  about the scrumptious tarte au fromage from Boulangerie Garcia.  

Leek and Gruyère is such a delicious flavor combination too.  Nothing better than ooey, gooey melted cheese married with the delicate, sweetness of the leeks.  The attached recipe makes one 9-inch round quiche but I opted to do mini ones using the tartlet tins I bought at E. Dehillerin last summer.  They make the perfect hand held portion that's ideal for a picnic or snack on the go.   

Chocolate Eclair Cake

I live in constant fear that my gas oven will die on me.  It's happened before and for a baking fanatic like me it was my worst nightmare realized.  If you saw my oven for yourself you'd sympathize.  So can you blame me for always being on the lookout for no-bake desserts? 

My sister sent me this recipe for a chocolate eclair cake from Cook's Country a while back.   I'd never heard of it before but apparently it was quite well-known.   The no-fuss version is to layer a mixture of instant vanilla pudding and Cool-Whip between graham crackers, top the whole thing with ready-made chocolate frosting and refrigerate for a few hours.  Cook's Country amped it up big time by making everything, but the graham crackers, from scratch.

The flavors of the cake were great but I wish the graham crackers had held up their shape more, especially when it came time to slice.  Not sure how the folks at Cook's Country were able to get such nice, clean cuts because my crackers were kind of mushy.  Maybe next time I won't let the cake chill overnight; perhaps a few hours will suffice.

Cherry Clafoutis

Fresh, ripe cherries always herald the beginning of the summer for me.  I just love them - especially the sweet, crunchy bing variety.  But beware, don't indulge in too many at once or you'll be sorry....if you know what I mean!

The Saturday before Memorial Day I went cherry picking in Brentwood with my nieces and sister-in-law.   It was the first day of the season so we headed out bright and early with the hope of getting the nicest fruit. 

Even by 9:30am the parking lot was already jam packed with minivans and young families.   Sixty minutes, one pair of dusty sneakers and nine pounds of cherries later I was a very happy person.

 

I immediately got home and set about searching for a new cherry recipe.  I happened upon this one for clafoutis from Bon Appétit.   I'd never made it before, but it's the quintessential French dessert using cherries.  It tastes very much like a pancake or crepe and is so good served slightly warm with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Think we've just discovered a new Memorial Day tradition. 

Blackberry Buttermilk Panna Cotta

I don't know about you but I'm a bit of a Costco fanatic.  I just love the place, which can be a really dangerous (and expensive!) habit.  My friend Grace and I have, on many an occasion, made the trek there during our lunch break from work.   We're crazy like that.

    

For someone like me it's a great place to stock up on baking staples.  I buy unsalted butter there like it's going out of fashion.  On my last trip they had some amazing blackberries that were cheap as chips.  So of course I ended up buying way too many...over a kilo to be exact. 

    

You can bet that I was searching high and low for blackberry recipes because I hated the thought of the berries going to waste. I found this one for blackberry buttermilk panna cotta on epicurious.com.  Luckily I had all the ingredients in my fridge so it came together really quickly.  

These panna cotta are super creamy and refreshing, with the slightest tang from the buttermilk.  They are fabulous topped with mixed berries - a perfect light and fruity dessert to end any meal.

Chocolate Pots de Crème

As I've gotten older, argh!, certain foods that I once hated I've now grown to love.  Are you like that too?  Take avocados, for example.  I simply couldn't stand them when I was younger, but nowadays I'd sell my right arm for some chunky guacamole.  Ironic, isn't it?

Custard was another item on my frightful food list.  Maybe it had to do with the silky texture.  Flan or maybe crème brûlée for dessert?  Twenty years ago the answer would have emphatically been "no way!"   Luckily that was then and this is now.     

Recently I was having a craving for something creamy and chocolate-y.  I also wanted to use up the rest of the 1/2 gallon of heavy cream I bought at Costco to make the whipped cream cake. Then it came to me...chocolate pots de crème!  And I had the perfect containers to serve them in - some really cute glass yogurt containers that my sister gave me. 

Boston Cream Pie

Why is Boston Cream Pie called a pie when it's obviously a cake?  I did a little research online and apparently the "pie" part came from the tins that the cake layers were baked in.  See, you learn something new every day.

The Mar/Apr 2011 issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine featured this cake and it immediately jumped to the top of my "must-bake" list.   I can't remember if I've ever had Boston Cream Pie before, even in the town itself when I've visited before.   How sad is that?

My only disappointment with the recipe was that the pastry cream wasn't as firm and thick as it was supposed to be.  In fact, it was super runny.   I think it's because I was too impatient and didn't cook the custard long enough.    Lesson learned for next time - follow the recipe! 

I'm dedicating this cake to my dear friend Jill who's getting married in her hometown of Boston this summer.   Besides wedding cake can you guess what other treat I'll be partaking in while I'm there?

Panna Cotta and Florentine Cookies

This month's Daring Bakers' challenge brought back wonderful memories of Lake Como for me.   My friends and I travelled there to attend our friend Christine's summer wedding in the charming town of Varenna.

You can't imagine how breathtakingly beautiful this place was - right out of a postcard.   Sun, lake and amazing Italian food...what could be better?  Unfortunately no sightings of George Clooney!

The best panna cotta I've ever had was at the restaurant of the hotel where we stayed, Hotel Villa Cipressi.  Creamy and silky smooth with lots of fresh berries -  I practically licked the glass clean it was so delicious.  This version comes pretty close - all that's missing is the Italian scenery.

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

Crème Brûlée

Crème Brûlée...two words in the dessert world that seems to evoke so much devotion.  Mention  crème brûlée and most people I know smile and get a dreamy, dazed look on their face.   "I LOVE crème brûlée.   It's my absolute favorite!" is usually what follows.

I was a latecomer to the craze.  Creamy custards, like crème brûlée or it's close cousin crème caramel, were not my dessert of choice.  There was something about the texture that I just couldn't wrap my arms around.  But as I've gotten older I've found that my tastes have changed, possibly even matured. Nowadays I can truthfully say that I enjoy it very much, even more so when I discovered how simple it was to make.