Tonkatsu is a Japanese food which consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet. This dish is often served along with curry and rice, or simply with a side cabbage. Below is my recipe served with rice. I enjoy my tonkatsu topped with tonkatsu sauce and fresh scallions. I hope you enjoy! Japanese Tonkatsu over Rice Ingredients 1 pound pork cutlets Salt Pepper 1 cup all purpose flour 3 eggs 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs 1 cup corn oil for deep frying 1/2 cup scallions Tonkatsu sauce for serving Rice for serving Directions Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the pork cutlets. Set aside. Create what I like to call, “the dredging station.” I typically use three bowls, which contain flour, beaten eggs and panko bread crumbs. First, coat the meat with flour, dip in eggs, then cover with bread crumbs. Set aside. Heat corn oil to 350 F, and deep fry the crumb-covered meat. Deep fry the pork cutlets until they turn golden brown and float in the oil. This process will take about 5 minutes, turning the pork over once or twice. Set pork on a cooling rack for about 2 minutes. Serve pork over a bowl of white rice, and top with tonkatsu sauce and a sprinkle of...
Read MoreRecipe: Roasted Sweet Potatoes by Pie Pushers
February has come to a close and it was definitely a “sweet” month! To celebrate North Carolina Sweet Potato Month the NC Sweet Potato Commission hosted “Signature Sweets.” Over 50 chefs and artisans from NC featured a special dish for the whole month of February using sweet potatoes grown in NC. Although it’s March 1st, you can still enjoy some of these delicious dishes at home. Based in Durham, NC, Pie Pushers is a food truck serving pizza pies created with local ingredients. Pie Pushers has shared a delicious (and easy!) recipe for Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Try these sweet potatoes on top of a pizza along with other toppings of your choice. Don’t be scared to get creative in the kitchen! Roasted Sweet Potatoes 5 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and medium diced 1 tbl. fresh garlic, minced 2 tbl. fresh thyme, finely chopped 1 tbl. paprika 1/4 cup Oil Salt and pepper to taste Toss above ingredients in a large bowl. Be sure to coat sweet potatoes evenly. Spread out on to sheet pan with parchment paper and bake in a 420 degree oven for 20...
Read MoreRecipe: NC Sweet Potato Gratin by Kimbap
February is North Carolina Sweet Potato Month! To celebrate, the NC Sweet Potato Commission is hosting “Signature Sweets.” Over 50 chefs and artisans from NC will be featuring a special dish for the whole month of February using sweet potatoes grown in NC. Here is the finalized list of participants.Located in Raleigh, NC, Kimbap is a Korean-inspired restaurant serving delicious foods created with local ingredients. In honor of NC Sweet Potato Month, Chef Kim Hunter has shared a recipe for NC Sweet Potato Gratin. Try this dish at home or enjoy at Kimbap throughout the month of February. NC Sweet Potato Gratin Ingredients 2 lbs sweet potatoes 2 T butter 1/2 t cinnamon 1/4 t nutmeg 1/4 t allspice 2 T flour *(can use rice flour for gluten free version) 2 cups half & half 4 ounces gruyere cheese, grated 2 t salt, plus pepper to taste Red pepper flakes, for garnish Directions Get a bowl of water ready. Butter 4-6 ramekin dishes and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel sweet potatoes, then use mandolin to slice into thin disks. Place sliced sweet potatoes in water; set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add spices. Add flour and whisk to incorporate. Cook flour/butter mixture for a couple minutes until golden in color. Very slowly whisk in half and half, a little at a time, allowing mixture to come together. Allow sauce to simmer and thicken a bit. Turn off heat and add gruyere. Allow to melt. Gently stir mixture. Drain sweet potatoes. In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes and cheese sauce. Sprinkle salt and pepper and mix. Spoon sweet potato mixture into ramekins, distributing remaining sauce into each ramekin also. Fill ramekins to just below the top. Bake for about 25 minutes until bubbly and potatoes are tender. Remove from heat, sprinkle red pepper flakes on top, and...
Read MoreRecipe: Sweet Potato Cake with Chipotle-Vanilla Buttercream by The Fiction Kitchen
February is North Carolina Sweet Potato Month! To celebrate, the NC Sweet Potato Commission is hosting “Signature Sweets.” Over 50 chefs and artisans from NC will be featuring a special dish for the whole month of February using sweet potatoes grown in NC. Here is the finalized list of participants. Located in downtown Raleigh, NC, the Fiction Kitchen is an outstanding restaurant serving vegetarian and vegan cuisine. In honor of NC Sweet Potato Month, the Fiction Kitchen has shared a recipe for Sweet Potato Cake with Chipotle-Vanilla Buttercream. The best part — the recipe is completely vegan! Vegan Sweet Potato Cake with Chipotle-Vanilla Buttercream Vegan Chipotle-Vanilla Buttercream Ingredients ½ cup shortening ½ cup vegan margarine 3 ½ powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 ½ tsp chipotle paste ¼ cup non-dairy milk Directions In the bowl of a mixer (or handheld mixer), cream together shortening and margarine. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Continue adding powdered sugar, alternating with milk and mixing on low speed to incorporate. Add chipotle paste and increase speed to high. Beat until light and fluffy, adjusting consistency with more sugar or milk until spreadable but firm. Vegan Sweet Potato Cake Ingredients 1 cup sweet potato puree 1/3 cup veg/canola oil 1 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup non-dairy milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground white pepper 1/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp nutmeg Directions Preheat oven to 350. Combine sweet potato puree, oil, sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir gently until smooth. Do not over mix. Pour batter into prepared pans* Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until a paring knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Note: this is a very moist cake and may require slightly longer baking time depending on oven and pan choice. *lightly grease and flour (or line with parchment) two 9” cake...
Read MorePanang Beef Curry Recipe
Inspired by my love of ethnic food and upcoming trip to Thailand, I have decided to try cooking new cuisines. This past Sunday afternoon I went grocery shopping in Chinatown. One of my favorite shops is tucked away on the corner of Mosco and Mott Streets in New York City. Bangkok Center Grocery has some of the hardest to find Thai ingredients in the city and the employees are super helpful. When I entered the grocery store, I told the gentleman at the register that I wanted to make panang beef curry. We weaved in and out of the cramped store as he gathered palm sugar, fresh panang curry paste, fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk. He explained to me that all of the ingredients are shipped directly from Thailand. After reviewing many recipes online and in a few cookbooks, I created this recipe for panang beef curry. The dish was extremely flavorful and I enjoyed the spice from the panang curry paste and the sriracha sauce. Panang Beef Curry 3 Servings Ingredients 1 cup coconut milk, divided 2 tbsp fresh panang curry paste 1/2 cup water 2 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp palm sugar 3 kaffir lime leaves, coarsely chopped 1/2 lb thinly sliced beef, 2-inch strips 3 tbsp ground peanuts 1 tsp sriracha sauce Directions Pour a half cup of coconut milk into a skillet on medium-high heat. Once the coconut milk is hot and foaming, add the fresh panang curry paste. Stir and combine the coconut milk and curry paste. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining coconut milk along with the water, fish sauce, palm sugar and kaffir lime leaves. Let simmer for about 3 minutes, add the beef and stir. Cook the beef, stirring continuously for about 4 minutes. Add sriracha sauce and the ground peanuts and reduce the heat to low. Stir to combine the peanuts with the curry. Serve with...
Read MoreRecipe: Brûléed French Toast Sandwich by Mandolin
February is North Carolina Sweet Potato Month! To celebrate, the NC Sweet Potato Commission is hosting “Signature Sweets.” Over 50 chefs and artisans from NC will be featuring a special dish for the whole month of February using sweet potatoes grown in NC. Here is the finalized list of participants. Chef Sean Fowler of Mandolin is passionate about sourcing the highest quality local ingredients in his restaurant, which is located on the corner of Fairview and Oberlin Roads in Raleigh. Mandolin’s menu draws influences from around the world and offers a fresh take on Southern food. Chef Sean has shared a recipe for a Brûléed French Toast Sandwich with NC Sweet Potato Butter and Bananas. Mandolin will be featuring this dish during brunch in February. Brûléed French Toast Sandwich with NC Sweet Potato Butter and Bananas Sweet Potato Butter: Ingredients 2 medium sweet potatoes 2 cups apple cider 2 cups water ½ cup brown sugar 1 oz molasses ½ tbs ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground nutmeg Pinch of salt Directions Preheat oven to 400° F. Bake the sweet potatoes on a baking pan with their skins on for 50 minutes, or until soft and cooked all the way through. Remove your sweet potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool enough to handle. Mix the apple cider, water, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a medium saucepan. Heat while stirring, until all of the ingredients are dissolved and thoroughly mixed. Cut the sweet potatoes in half, lengthwise, and scoop the flesh out of the skins with a large spoon. Discard the skins and add the flesh to the saucepan. Heat the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove the butter from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes. Pour the mixture into a blender. Make sure the sweet potato mixture has cooled, only fill the pitcher of the blender about halfway, and use the vented lid to the blender held in place with a dry towel to avoid a potentially dangerous volcanic eruption. Start with the slowest speed, and gradually increase the speed of the blender. Blend until smooth,...
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