February Fusion

VALENTINE’S MEAL WITH ASIAN FLAIR

Recipes and food photos provided by Christine Wickram

Christine Wickram of Ann Arbor runs the ultimate foodies blog for fans of Asian and French cuisine (http://holybasil.wordpress.com). HolyBasil, her blog, is a collection of the recipes, discoveries and experiences that come to a woman with a varied food background. She’s of Vietnamese descent, and has studied and lived in Angers, France.

Christine knows that February marks not just Valentine’s Day this year but also Chinese New Year. To celebrate them both, she’s designed a healthy and easy menu that melds Eastern-inspired ingredients, such as sesame, bok choy and soy sauce, with Western touches, such as celeriac from France and cooked cream from Italy.

Pad Thai cooking class
February 24 Sunday
When: 1-2 p.m.
Where: Kitchen Port, 283 S. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor
Learn how to make Pad Thai, a popular Thai dish, featuring tender rice noodles tossed with chicken, Chinese chives and a tamarind sauce topped with crushed peanuts and lime wedges.
Cost: $8
Contact: 734.665.9188.
Registration may be done in person at the store, by phone or by mail.

Chinese New Year
When: Feb. 7
What: This festival marks the first day of the lunar month and signifies change. The holiday has had a strong influence on the New Year celebrations of its Eastern neighbors, such as Korea, Nepal and Vietnam, where large populations of ethnic Chinese live. How it’s celebrated: Red envelopes containing an even – and therefore lucky – amount of money are given from married couples to children and singles. Fireworks mark the holiday to drive away evil spirits.

Valentine’s Day
When: Feb. 14
What: Marked as a saint’s day to honor early Christian martyrs named Valentine, the day was associated with romantic love in the Middle Ages while the notion of courtly love was popular. How it’s celebrated: Women carefully select cards or Valentines for the perfect sentiment. Men frantically search gas stations for cards and candy.

Sesame Seared Salmon

2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 salmon filets (3-4 ounces each) 
• Salt (to taste)
  
• Pepper (to taste)
  
• 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
  
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  

DIRECTIONS
Sprinkle salt and pepper over the salmon. Next, scatter sesame seeds over the top of the fish. Using the flat side of a knife, gently press the sesame seeds so that they adhere to the salmon.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet or cast-iron pan to medium-hot. Add the salmon (sesame side down) to the pan, and cook for about 3 minutes. The sesame seeds should become golden but not burnt. Flip the salmon, lower the heat to medium, and cook for another 3-4 minutes. To test for doneness, use a fork to flake the fish – it should be fairly opaque but not too firm. (It will continue to cook a few minutes once taken off the heat.)

Recipe by Christine Wickram

Mashed Celery Root

2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 large celery root
  
• 1⁄2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
  
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  

DIRECTIONS
Remove the green leaves from the celery root. Peel and discard its outer skin. Cut in half lengthwise and quarter each half. Boil the celery root pieces for about 25-30 minutes. The celery root should be tender and have little resistance when pierced with a knife.

Using a potato-masher or stick blender, mash the cooked celery root, stir with crème fraîche and salt until thoroughly combined.

Recipe by Christine Wickram

TIP: To plate your dish, begin with the baby bok choy, and top with the mashed celery root. Place the salmon filet on top of the mashed celery root, and drizzle the glaze over the entire dish.

Sautéed Baby Bok Choy

2 servings

For the bok choy
Ingredients

• 1⁄2 pound fresh baby bok choy
  
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  

DIRECTIONS
Wash and dry the bok choy. Cut in half lengthwise. In a wok or deep nonstick skillet heated to high, add oil. Sauté or stir-fry the bok choy for about 2-3 minutes. Then, add the salt. The bok choy should be cooked but still green and slightly crispy.

For the soy ginger glaze
Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup soy sauce
  
• uice and zest of 1 orange or 1⁄2 cup orange juice
  
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  

DIRECTIONS
Whisk all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat the sauce over medium heat until it begins to bubble (approximately 5 minutes). Remove from heat, and serve over bok choy.

Recipe by Christine Wickram

Coconut Panna Cotta With Star Anise

2-4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (14 ounce) can of coconut milk, preferably Chaokoh or Mae Ploy brand
  
• 1⁄2 cup of fresh, heavy cream
  
• 5 (whole) star anise
  
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
  
• 1⁄4 cup water
  
• 1 packet of powdered gelatin
  

DIRECTIONS
In a small saucepan on medium-low heat, cook the coconut milk, cream, sugar and star anise for about 15-20 minutes, occasionally stirring.

In a separate small bowl, dissolve the gelatin with water. After 1 minute, the gelatin will “bloom” and thicken. Stir that into the cream mixture, and cook for about 5 minutes.

Remove the star anise with a slotted spoon, and pour the mixture into ramekins or shallow cups. Allow to cool and set. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

When ready to serve, carefully run a knife along the inside edge of the panna cotta. Place your dessert plate over the top, and invert.

Recipe by Christine Wickram

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