How to Cook Crispy Spiced Duck Breast with Orange Sauce

The recipe is fairly easy to follow making it great for those who haven't previously cooked duck. You will love the combination of spices along with the orange sauce. The flavors complement each other perfectly.
Serving duck is a wonderful alternative to your traditional Christmas fare. The duck breast is seasoned with salt and then the skin is crusted with ginger, cumin, chili and star anise. This spice mixture amps up the earthy poultry flavor and creates a wonderful crispy skin when seared in the pan. It is complemented by an orange sauce recipe made by deglazing the pan drippings with shallots, agave syrup (or honey), orange and lemon juice. Serve with a healthy side of vegetables and a nice bottle of pinot noir.
Spiced duck breast with an orange glaze sauce
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
2 (6-8 ounce) boneless duck breasts
1/2 teaspoon ground star anise
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil, or canola
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons agave syrup, or honey
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon coconut oil, or butter
Salt, to taste
Directions:
On both sides of the duck breast, season with salt; then add cumin, star anise, coriander, ginger, white pepper and chili powder to the skin side.
Add coconut oil to a large pan over medium heat. In the pan, place the duck breasts skin side down. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook until the skin is crisp and golden brown, for about 12-15 minutes. Flip the duck breasts and cook for about three to four minutes, until medium-rare. Transfer to the cutting board to rest.
Raise heat to medium, and then add sliced shallots and cook until soft. Add agave syrup, lemon juice and orange juice and allow liquid to reduce. To finish the sauce, whisk in the butter or coconut oil. Season with salt.
Cut duck breasts into thin slices and pour the orange shallot sauce over top.

Chocolate Crinkles Recipe

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (such a Hershey's Special Dark)
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
In the large work bowl of a mixer, beat together the cocoas, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil until the cocoa powder is well hydrated. Beat in eggs, one at a time, fully mixing in before adding the next. Add vanilla.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add in thirds to the wet ingredients. Once the flour mixture is fully incorporated into the batter, cover dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough into a tablespoon or a #50 size cookie scoop. Drop dough into the powdered sugar, roll until coated with sugar, then roll into 1-inch balls. Transfer dough ball to prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the dark, cracked part of the cookie looks baked. Let rest on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to wire cooling racks.
Makes: 5 dozenI'll admit, I was a little leery when I saw these went for oil instead of butter -- until I remembered that's how brownie and cake mixes roll, soooo I should just go with it. And you know what? It works.
These are rich and fudgey -- pretty much just a brownie in cookie form covered in powdered sugar. Totally a cookie Adam can get behind. And me. Although I usually don't discriminate, I'll back most any cookie.

A Souped-Up Pork Rib

Think of this as the “ferrari” of pork rib sinigangs. I wrote a straightforward and simple recipe for pork rib sinigang a few years ago, here. But I was looking for a version I would be happy to serve in a restaurant, so I took the recipe apart and decided to ramp up the flavor. A side note on Cebuanos and almost fanatical desire for the lechon’s rib cage. Fights sometimes break out as folks in line monopolize the rib section, sometimes buying it all without mixing it with other body parts, leaving none for others in line. It is quite amusing, until the dagger looks emerge. There is a reason for the obsession. Cebuano (and other Visayan) lechons are always stuffed with aromatics and seasoning. So as the pig turns, the juices and flavors inside the pig baste the rib section, resulting in some of the most succulent and flavorful morsels of the lechon. However, a well-made lechon should have flavorful meat all over, with the exception of the thigh that is quite thick, but the flavor is less subtle there and balances out a portion of ribs and other cuts.
And if you want a fright, the vast majority of commercial lechoneros these days almost certainly use a phenomenal amount of MSG to cut down on stuffing costs and work, so what swirls inside the stomach of the lechon is an MSG laden slushie that packs the ribs with MSG concentrated at junkie levels. Just remember that. Personally, I always ask for a mixture of cuts when ordering a kilo of lechon, and we try to serve it that way at the restaurant. This ensures that you get the fuller experience, and have meaty as well as bone-y sections. Folks who insist on just ribs get a much higher proportion of their order “in bones”, so the effective cost of the meat is higher. If you wish to feed a crowd well and more economically, you may want to move away from the obsession with “just ribs”…
Given that obsession, however, I thought it might be interesting to offer a pork rib sinigang for the rib-centric crowd. These large, meaty ribs are connected to the bone-in liempo that we use for our Zubuliempo and slow-cooked adobo. We insist on buying liempo bone in, and use the bones for this sinigang. To make, we start off with a 3 hour slow-cooked lechon pata broth, made with meaty trotters and legs of lechon simmered in water with onions, leeks, etc. on very low heat for 3+ hours. What results is a flavorful lechon reminiscent broth that is slightly colored from the caramelization on the lechon pieces. If you cool this and store in the fridge and skim off the fat from the surface the following day, you have a flavorful, less fatty broth as the beginnings of your soup.

Avoca in Moll's Gap, Co. Kerry, Ireland

We'd driven for hours from Co Clare toward our cottage in Co Kerry. We didn't have any restaurant recommendations in Killarney, but had a great one for Moll's Gap, about a half-hour south-west of Killarney. And, it was halfway to our rental home, Pier Cottage, west of Sneem. So, we held out a little more for the Avoca gift shop and cafe, in Moll's Gap.

The winding roads, mountains, and extraordinary scenery lead to a road junction called Moll's Gap. You can head one way to Killarney, or the other way to Sneem. But first, stop at Avoca to stretch your legs and grab a bite.
Avoca is an Irish family-run business, that features cafes, cookbooks, stores, and gifts - all started from a handweaving mill established over 280 years ago. Head and see for yourself - you'll want to shop - and eat!
But I digress. At Moll's Gap, you can peruse the store on the first floor (great gifts!), but be sure to head to the second floor for stunning views while you dine.
Avoca is well-known for fresh, delicious food. You'll find a wide array of entrees - we decided on salmon and salads - and lots of baked goods and desserts. The service was friendly (and patient, while we tried to decide WHAT to eat!).

Oven-Grilled Chicken Wings

When I was an undergraduate studying in the UK, you will always find me buying chicken wings almost on a weekly basis because it’s one of the cheapest chicken parts available. Apparently, for non-Asians, chicken wings are mainly for the grill rather than stir-fries. So, it has lesser demand compared to the chicken breast or drumstick.
Here in Kuala Lumpur, and probably other parts of Malaysia, grilled chicken wings are commonly found in Chinese coffeeshop eateries. Amongst the most famous is Wong Ah Wah Grilled Chicken Wings located at Jalan Alor Peel. But today’s post is not about Wong Ah Wah’s Grilled Chicken Wings. Today’s post is about how I finally started to use my brand new oven to cook something for myself whilst looking forward to sharing the same with all of you.
As always, I prefer something simple and doable. So, this oven-grilled chicken wings recipe only requires ingredients which you can easily find and are likely to be sitting in your kitchen and fridge right now. Feel free to experiment with the marinade as each person’s taste buds vary. Cooking time needs to be adjusted depending on the size of the chicken wings used and the portions to be cooked. A peek into the oven every 10 minutes to check for doneness would be recommended.
This is my recipe for Oven-Grilled Chicken Wings
Ingredients
5 chicken wings (medium size, cleaned and pat dry)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Marinate
1 – 2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
3 tablespoons of ginger juice
1 teaspoon light soya sauce
1 teaspoon cornflour
Method
Place chicken wings in a bowl and mix well with marinating ingredients. Cover and allow to marinade in the fridge for at least 5 hours or overnight.
Heat oven to 150 degrees celcius.
Drizzle baking pan with olive oil before placing chicken wings on the pan. Sprinkle some black pepper powder over the chicken wings (optional).
Bake the chicken wings for 30 minutes or till cooked. To check whether the chicken wings are thoroughly cooked, take a sharp knife / chopstick and pierce through the most fleshy part of the wings till it reaches the bone. If clear juice runs out, it is cooked. If not, cook further.
Once chicken wings are cooked, remove juice from pan. Change oven setting to top grille at 200 degrees celcius and grille chicken wings till desired brownness.
Serve hot.
If desired, the juice which has been removed from the pan can be reduced in a cooking pan with a little cornflour.

Tips For Tofu Meat Stew Recipe

You will score big at the dinner table with these silky tofu and tasty meat, enjoy this authentic Chinese cuisine right now!
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Utensils:
Wok, pot, mixing bowl, serving bowl.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
7 oz. / 200 g tofu
7 oz. / 200 g pork
4 red chilies
1 tbsp. chopped scallion
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 slices ginger, minced
1-2 tbsps. Szechuan peppercorns
1 tbsp. Chili bean sauce
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tbsp. Chinese cooking wine, or dry sherry
1 tbsp. sugar, or to taste
1 tbsp. salt, or to taste
1 cup chicken stock, or water
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. cornstarch, mixed with 4 tbsps. water in a bowl.
3 tbsps. vegetable oil, for stir-frying
Directions:
1. Cut tofu into 1 inch length cubes, blanch in boiling water for 20 seconds, drain well and set into serving bowl then.
2. Slice pork into thin, combine with Chinese cooking wine, salt, and cornstarch in a bowl, let marinate for 20 minutes.
3. Preheat a wok over high heat for 1 minute before adding 3 tbsps. vegetable oil, when the oil is hot, reduce heat to medium, then sauté garlic, ginger, scallion, chilies, and Szechuan peppercorns until aromatic, do not brown, which will take about 30 seconds, then stir into chili bean sauce, stir fry for a minute
4. Stir into light soy sauce, then add cup of chicken stock or water, add sugar and bring to a boil, then add pork slices, cook immediately.
5. When the pork changes color, stir into cornstarch water mixture, mix well, pour them over the tofu in the serving bowl.

Sushi Delivered Direct To The Gate In London

　　Sushi is delicious, healthy and fun. In just one meal diners can sample so many different textures and flavours. It's certainly not just raw fish! There are so many different delicious dishes. Everyone can enjoy a sushi meal. Up until now the only option for sushi lovers was to dine out at a restaurant. However, sometimes people prefer a takeaway. And not just a meal to pick up.
     Rather a delicious meal delivered direct to the door. The team at You Me Sushi know that sometimes people just want to shut the door on the world and enjoy a great meal at home. So they've set up a new sushi delivery service. Sushi lovers in London can now enjoy top class sushi in the comfort of their own homes, without having to leave the front door. The word is spreading and their sushi delivery in London is creating a real buzz.
    Sushi has become much more mainstream in recent years, but some of the quality of the food on offer is a little questionable. Not with You Me Sushi however. Their chefs strive to create high quality, authentic dishes that will delight diners. Both experienced sushi lovers and those new to this cuisine also. Their sushi delivery service brings restaurant quality dining to the front room. It's top cuisine, but without the formality and effort of eating out. No matter where in the centre of the capital people live, they can take advantage of this sushi delivery in London. Delicious meals direct to the door.
     For the health conscious it certainly beats pizza, Indian or Chinese. Sushi is delicious and healthy, making it the perfect combination. Anyone looking for a great night in with some healthy and mouth watering food should give You Me Sushi a call. It's dining in at home with a difference.

Hot Off the Press! Ham, Cheese and Peach Panini

　　
I've received what I consider to be an inordinate number of emails requesting sandwich videos. A sandwich video? Why would anyone want to watch a sandwich video?" Since the bread for my sandwiches is earned in large part from video views, these things have to be considered. 　　Well, a few things have changed my attitude towards doing a sandwich video. One would be the shocking success of the inside-out grilled cheese sandwich video (done mostly as a goof), which showed me that these things could put butts in the seats.
Secondly, I received a panini press from IMUSA that I really wanted to try out. I decided to create a sandwich worthy of such a test, and what you see here is the delicious result – a ham, cheese and peach panini, or as I now call it, my new favorite sandwich.
The lightly smoked ham, sharp white cheddar, and sweet/tart peach preserves pressed between the crunchy, buttery bread was an absolutely stunning combination. I know I say this all the time, but I really hope you give this a try. Enjoy!
About the IMUSA Panini Press Grill
You know I don't do a lot of product endorsements, but once in a while I get to test something that I really like, and when that happens I like to share the info. For the record, IMUSA sent me this press free of charge, so you can take that for what it's worth. By the way, the letters going around the grill don't relate to anything, I just thought they looked cool.

This grill heats up quickly. It was ready to go in just a few minutes. There are no controls. It's on or off, so there's no guesswork with temperatures. Just put in the sandwich and check back in 5 minutes. That was it. 　　I also like that it's a flat, not grooved grill. You can argue the grooves make for a better appearance, but this model is clearly easier to clean (I just used a paper towel).
I don't like to look at product reviews until I've formed my own opinion, so after I finished the video I popped over to Amazon and saw that this model was very well received. That's what I expected, but it's nice to have my findings corroborated. For more info, here's a link to the product page.