AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: One for the Road (Recipe: Chap Jae) DATE: 11/20/2009 01:53:00 AM ----- BODY:

The (holiday) travel season is upon us.

Boarding Passes? Printed.

Luggage? Packed.

Food?

Most airports highway rest-stops are food-challenged. Though driving offers more flexibility, the last thing I want to do is divert my route for decent food when I still have 5 hours to go. Whenever I travel, I pack a picnic.

Menu planning takes into account the obvious that I want to satiate my hunger and eat healthy. It needs to travel well and pack light. But perhaps most important, the meal must stave off any cravings I might have for crappy food along the way -- I’ll admit I’m enticed by the aroma of Cinna-bons in the airport or fried chicken at highway rest-stops.

My picnic basket usually includes snacky foods like carrot sticks and whole wheat crackers. To satisfy my (limited) sweet tooth, I buy a bag of Stacy’s Cinnamon Pita chips. They aren’t the healthiest, but certainly better than the other sweet options.

For my main meal, I usually pack something that requires a fork (but no knife), so I feel like I’m really eating a meal.

Chap Jae, a Korean noodle dish, is a wonderful complete meal – with vegetables, starch and protein. It has plenty of umami from the dried mushrooms and soy sauce, which makes it extra satisfying. Like many Asian stir-fries, it’s also a great way to use up bits of left-over vegetables in the pantry. In my case, I gleaned a few leaves of kales, celery and scallions from the garden.

What's your go-to road-food?

Chap Jae
½ pound sweet potato noodles (found in Asian Markets) or vermicelli
½ pound boneless chicken or beef, cut into thin strips
5 dried mushrooms, rehydrated in warm water
3 scallions
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce + extra for seasoning
1 tablespoon sesame oil + extra for cooking
1 ½ teaspoon sugar
1 onion, peeled and sliced thin
Extra soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar for seasoning.

Julienne of Vegetables, which can include any or all of the following:
Carrots
Red Peppers
Kale
Celery
Bamboo Shoots
Broccoli
Green Beans

1. In a bowl, combine the thin strips of meat and mushrooms with soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic and scallions. Let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. If using sweet potato noodles, cook for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Toss with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. If using wheat vermicelli, cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Toss with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
3. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add sesame oil and onions. Cook onions until soft. Add chicken and mushrooms and continue cooking until meat is cooked through. Add vegetables. When vegetables are tender, remove from heat.
4. To the same pan, add another bit of sesame oil. Stir fry noodles over high heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the vegetables and meat.
5. Adjust seasoning with extra soy sauce, sesame oil and/or sugar.

Labels: chicken, kale, Korean, noodles

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Tall Kate DATE:11/20/2009 08:59:00 AM I always need protein, but I also crave crunchy foods (not so much with the sweets). So: Carrot sticks, yes. Apples. Hummus, with pita chips (sometimes even homemade). String cheese (not exactly original, but it has fat and protein and I have young kids!). If I'm ambitious, some bean or lentil soup in a thermos. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Katie DATE:11/20/2009 09:02:00 AM That looks like a great travel option! I usually take any leftovers that need to be eaten (ideally something that doesn't taste too terrible when eaten cold), lots of carrots, and a few pieces of fruit. I got some strange looks last year as I spread out my Thanksgiving leftovers while on a plane at 9 am (I had been up since 4, so it seemed like an appropriate lunch time). ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Reeni DATE:11/20/2009 09:34:00 PM This is loaded with goodies! This is the best road food I've ever seen! My road food is larabars! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Julia DATE:11/21/2009 08:49:00 AM Tall Kate -- clearly you're driving! I tried taking Hummus on the plane once and the confiscated it at security!

Katie -- I'm with you... I can eat just about anything, anytime.

Reeni -- good for you! if all I had were larabars, I'd so be chowing on fried chicken and cinnabons. No will power. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) DATE:11/21/2009 05:44:00 PM Strips of roasted or grilled chicken breast, grapes, and low-carb bagels, for trips where I want to make only minimal stops along the way, or to bring on the plane. Sometimes for flights, if I'm feeling wicked, I'll pack vegetable sushi and a pair of chopsticks. Makes my seat-mates jealous! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

noble pig DATE:11/22/2009 11:02:00 AM Wow, you are organized, we always stop to eat! ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Finger Lickin' Good (Recipe: Korean Fried Chicken) DATE: 10/20/2009 11:09:00 AM ----- BODY:

I went to bed last night stuffed to the gills, but also a little giddy about the left-overs I’d have for lunch today. Dinner was that good!

How could I have not loved it? It was fried chicken, after all. And my love affair with fried chicken – from Popeyes to General Gau’s – is well documented. The recipe came from a recent article in the New York Times about fried chicken that showcased variations of the classic Southern as well as a Korean version.

I didn’t have the Korean chili paste that the recipe called for. But with a little research, I discovered that it is a spicy bean paste. I had sriracha (Thai Chili Paste) and sweet bean sauce (a Chinese condiment), and blended the two. I used my homemade ketchup which had a nice balance of warm spice.

I’ve struggled over the years to get my general gau’s chicken to stay crispy after it’s been tossed in the sauce. Only once did I achieve that. With this recipe, the chicken is tossed in a mix of corn starch *and* wheat flour. This made a huge difference in crisp-maintenance.

Traditional Fried Chicken is often served with cole slaw. Inspired by Cooking with Amy’s recipe for raw Brussels sprouts, I made an Asian flavored slaw with shredded brussels sprouts.

Korean Fried Chicken
Adapted from Quick and Easy Korean Cooking by Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee

Time: 30 minutes, plus one hour’s marinating

1 small yellow onion, peeled and coarsely grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 scallions, cut into rings
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for coating
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for coating
8 to 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, quartered
3 tablespoons Korean chili paste (gojuchang), or a blend of Chinese Bean Sauce and Sriracha
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, more for garnish
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Oil for deep frying
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cornstarch

1. In a medium-size bowl, combine grated onion, garlic, 1/2 of the scallions, salt and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat well. Cover and set aside to marinate for about 1 hour.

2. In a large bowl, stir together chili paste, ketchup, sugar, sesame seeds and lemon juice. Taste and adjust flavors to get a spicy-sweet-tangy finish. Set aside.

3. Pour oil into a large heavy pot to a depth of 1 1/2 inches. Heat to 350 degrees. Combine flour and cornstarch in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper.

4. Working in batches to avoid crowding, lift chicken from marinade, dredge lightly in seasoned flour and cornstarch, gently drop into oil and fry for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining chicken, checking oil temperature between batches.

5. When all pieces are done, increase oil temperature to 375 degrees and refry in batches for 30 to 60 seconds, until very crisp. Drain once more on paper towels. While chicken is still hot, brush thickly with chili sauce. Serve hot, sprinkled with sesame seeds and scallions.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Labels: brussels sprouts, chicken, Chinese, kitchen tales, Korean

----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

grace DATE:10/20/2009 03:58:00 PM sriracha-spiced fried chicken sounds DELICIOUS. i think your substitutions for the paste sound like they'd create the perfect flavor on those pieces o' poultry. great twist! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

noble pig DATE:10/20/2009 07:01:00 PM I'm lickin' my fingers over here too, it sounds so good. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

jo DATE:10/20/2009 08:16:00 PM Mmm. I also adore tori karagee as well. Fried chicken cannot be scoffed at. I can tell you form experience that Korean chili flakes taste an awful lot like Aleppo pepper. Sticky and smoky with a good heat level instead of the in your face of Italian and California chili pepper. I'll pick you up a container of the chili paste next time I hit Kan Man or Hmart. I have date with my favourite 13 year old foodie on Friday to hit the new Hmart! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Sarah DATE:10/20/2009 09:06:00 PM This sounds GREAT - I too love fried food . . . and spicy fried chicken is the greatest. I have to admit, I'm afraid to deep-fry at home - maybe this will get me over it? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Reeni DATE:10/21/2009 12:25:00 PM This looks excellent! Love the spiciness of it. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

Juliana DATE:10/21/2009 02:39:00 PM This chicken sounds and looks delicious, full of flavor, yummie! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:

adele DATE:10/21/2009 06:08:00 PM Sounds delicious. :) ----- --------