Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh asparagus
• Good olive oil
• Kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Break off the tough ends of the asparagus and, if they're thick, peel them. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast the asparagus for 25 minutes, until tender but still crisp.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 8 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8ths
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 vanilla beans, split in half lengthwise
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 1 stick butter, cut into pieces

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large heavy pot, combine the potatoes, sugar, honey, water, orange juice, vanilla beans, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Lower the heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Strain the potatoes out of the sauce and place in a casserole dish. Return the sauce to the pan.
3. Add the bourbon to the sauce and continue to cook until syrup is thickened, about another 15 minutes. Pour the syrup over the potatoes and place in the oven. Bake until the potatoes are browned, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the butter, stirring gently to incorporate. Serve immediately.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients

• 3 lemons
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.
2. Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.
3. Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees Fahrenheit, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

Jjinppang Mandu (Steamed Pork Buns)

Ingredients

For dough

• 1 cup warm water (under 100 degrees Fahrenheit), or more if it's winter
• 1 Tablespoon instant dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

For filling

• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped carrot
• 1½ cup chopped zucchini
• 1½ cup chopped green onions
• 2 cups chopped white mushrooms
• 14 oz. ground pork
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions

Make the dough:

1. In a large bowl add the warm water, dry yeast, salt, vegetable oil, and sugar. Mix well until the dry yeast is fully dissolved.
2. Add the flour to the yeast water. Mix with a wooden spoon, then knead for 2-3 minutes.
3. Set aside in warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 30 minutes.
4. After the dough has risen, knead it again for 1 minute to remove any extra gas. Set it aside in warm place, covered, for 30 minutes.

Prepare the filling:

1. In a large bowl, place the onion, carrot, zucchini, green onions, and white mushrooms.
2. Sprinkle 1 tsp. salt over top and mix it up by hand. Set aside for 10-15 minutes.
3. Squeeze the excess water out, most easily done with a cheesecloth.
4. In a mixing bowl, place ground pork, soy sauce, salt, garlic, sesame oil, and black pepper. Mix it by hand and set aside.
5. In a heated pan, add 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil and sauté the chopped vegetables for 2-3 minutes. Transfer them to a large bowl.
6. Heat up the pan again, and cook the seasoned pork for 3 minutes until fully cooked.
7. Put the pork into the bowl with the vegetables and mix it all up.

Make the buns:

1. Split the dough into 16 smaller pieces.
2. Take a few dough balls and put them on a floured cutting board. The rest of balls should be in the bowl with the lid closed, to prevent them from getting dried out.
3. Roll out each ball into a disk 4-inches in diameter.
4. Place a disk into your palm and add 2-3 tbs of filling mixture to the center of it.
5. Lift the edges of the disk up around the filling, then press the edges together to seal the filling snugly inside the bun.
6. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, until you've made 16 buns.
7. Put 6-7 cups of water in the bottom of a large steamer and place each bun on the rack. (Place cheesecloth or cotton cloth on the steamer rack before adding each bun. Baking cups also work well.) When you place the buns on the rack, leave a 1 inch gap between them because they will get bigger when steamed.
8. Wait for 20 more minutes to let the dough rise even more.
9. Bring to a boil over high heat, and steam for 20 minutes.
10. When the buns are cooked, turn off the heat and remove the lid quickly to prevent water from the top of the lid from dripping over the buns. (That will create ugly, yellow blisters.)
11. Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy!
12. Yields 16 buns.

Dipping sauce:

• Combine 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. of vinegar, and 2 tsp. sugar in a small bowl.
• Add 1/2 cup chopped onion, chunks of green chili pepper, and roasted sesame seeds.

Mandu (Korean Dumplings)

Ingredients

• 1 cup of ground pork
• 2 cups of ground beef
• 2 cups of chopped buchu (Asian chives)
• 4-5 soaked Shiitake mushrooms
• Half an onion
• 7 oz. tofu
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• Salt
• Sugar
• Sesame oil
• Vegetable oil
• Fish sauce
• Egg
• Green onion
• Mandu skins (60 discs)

Directions

Make filling:

1. Place 1 cup of ground pork and 2 cups of ground beef into a big bowl.
2. Add 1 tsp. of salt, 1 Tbsp. of sesame oil, 3/4 tsp. of ground pepper and mix it by hand and push the mixture of meat on the side of the bowl.
3. Wash some Asian chives (buchu), and dry well with a paper towel or cotton cloth. Chop them into 2 cups’ worth of chives. Add 1 Tbsp. of oil and mix it up. Place it in the big bowl next to the ground meat. (The oil helps retain the vegetables' moisture.)
4. Chop 4-5 soaked shiitake mushrooms and half an onion. Put them into a small bowl.
5. Add 2 Tbsp. of soy sauce, 1 tsp. of sugar, and 2 tsp. of sesame oil to the small bowl. Mix by hand and transfer it to the big bowl.
6. Squeeze the tofu with a cotton cloth or paper towel and put it into a small bowl. Add 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. of sesame oil. Mix it by hand and then put it next to chopped chives.
7. In the big bowl, add 3 cloves of minced garlic and mix all ingredients by hand. This is your mandu filling.
8. Now to make the mandu:

For fried mandu:

1. Put some of the filling mixture into the center of a mandu skin.
2. Use your fingertips to apply a little cold water to one edge of the skin. This will act as a sealant when you fold it over.
3. Fold skin in half over filling and press edges together to make ripple shape.
4. Place some vegetable oil on heated pan and add the mandu you made.
5. Lower the heat to low-medium and put the lid on the pan to cook.
6. Turn over each mandu a few minutes later. Add 2-3 Tbsp. of water and put the lid back on the pan. Cook a few minutes more over low heat.
7. When the mandu is golden brown, transfer it to a plate.
8. Serve hot with a dipping sauce made of equal parts vinegar and soy sauce.

For mandu soup:

1. In a pot, place 6 cups of water, 8 dried anchovies, the leftover shiitake mushroom stems, and the leftover onion. Boil it over medium heat for 20-30 minutes. If too much water evaporates, add more.
2. When the stock is done, remove the anchovies and onion.
3. Add 1 tsp. of fish sauce, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and some of your mandu. Keep the lid on the pot. You can add some more salt if you want.
4. When the mandu has cooked, it will float to the top.
5. Add 1 beaten egg and 2 sliced green onions.
6. Serve hot with a bowl of kimchi, and ground pepper to taste.

Salted Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up into 6 pieces
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Heat granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula.
2. Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.
3. Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.
4. Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Very slowly, drizzle in 1/2 cup of heavy cream while whisking. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added.
6. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.
7. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to cool down before using.
8. Cover the caramel tightly and store for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Warm the caramel up for a few seconds before using in a recipe.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, add water and both sugars. Simmer on medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes.
2. Turn the heat down to low and whisk in cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and pumpkin puree. Simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not allow the mixture to come to a boil.
3. Remove from the heat and strain through a mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth or a very thin, clean tea towel.
4. Allow the syrup to cool to room-temperature before stirring in the vanilla extract. Store in a mason jar or airtight container. The syrup will last for 1 month at room-temperature or 3 months in the refrigerator.

Omurice

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium onion
• 1 chicken thigh, rinsed and pat dry
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables, defrosted
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups cooked Japanese rice
• 2 Tbsp. ketchup and more for decoration
• 2 tsp. soy sauce

For 1 omelette

• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 Tbsp. canola oil

Directions

1. Chop the onion finely.
2. Cut the chicken in 1/2" (1 cm.) pieces.
3. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the onion until softened.
4. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink.
5. Add the mixed vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
6. Add the rice and break into small pieces.
7. Add ketchup and soy sauce and combine everything evenly with a spatula. Transfer the fried rice to a plate and wash the pan.
8. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a small bowl.
9. Heat the oil in the pan over medium high heat (make sure the surface of the pan is nicely coated with oil).
10. When the pan is hot, pour the egg mixture into the pan and tilt to cover the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat when the bottom of the egg has set (but still soft on top).
11. Put the fried rice on top of the omelette.
12. Use the spatula to fold both sides of omelette toward the middle to cover the fried rice. Slowly move the omurice to the edge of the pan.
13. Hold a plate in one hand and the pan in the other hand, flip the pan and move the omurice to the plate.
14. While it’s still hot, cover the omurice with a paper towel and shape it into American /Rugby football shape. Drizzle the ketchup on top for decoration. Continue making omelette till the fried rice is all used.

Chai Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon each ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups cake flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup milk

Frosting:

• 8 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 to 3 tablespoons 2% milk
• Ground cinnamon

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine the ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and pepper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and 1-1/2 teaspoons spice mixture. Gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.
3. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 24-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
4. For frosting: In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy; beat in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and remaining spice mixture until smooth. Add enough milk to reach desired consistency. Pipe frosting over cupcakes; sprinkle with cinnamon. 
5. Yield: 1 dozen.