The Rumble LA strikes again

Don't waste another Thursday night at home in front of the tube...join Future Sounds at the Rumble LA. Doors open at 8PM.

~ Brock

Taiwanese Fried Chicken Roll (with no Chicken)

This is an all time favorite at Thanksgiving. I've had it at many restaurants, but I'll be honest with you...mine is better than any of them! If you're in Rowland Heights, you can try Sim Ba La or Good Time Cafe - those are pretty good if you can't make it yourself.

Here's how you do it:

1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb chopped assorted fish cake. I like to buy all this at 99 Ranch Market.
1 C finely chopped onion
1/2 C finely chopped carrot

Chop everything and drop it into a large bowl. Mix well.

In a small bowl, add 2 Tsp cornstarch, 1 1/2 Tsp sugar, 1 Tsp cooking wine, 1 tsp sesame oil, salt and pepper. Mix that up well. Scoop it out into your bowl of food and stir and mix everything well. Ensure all the clumps of cornstarch are broken up and mixed in well. Set the bowl aside for a few mintes.

Meanwhile, decide if you're going to use tofu paper or seaweed. Either way, you're going to moisten a towel or paper towel, but if you're using seaweed, it can't be too wet or it will shrink and rip. Experiment with a sheet or two in seeing how much moisture you need to make it workable, but without ripping it.

Lay out a sheet, add mixture to form a churro-like roll at one end of the sheet. Roll the sheet and tuck in the edges to form a roll. Make as many as you can with the mixture.

Heat up 1 inch of oil in a frying pan to medium-hot heat. Fry the rolls, turning frequently, for about 10-12 minutes.

Take out, slice and eat with Ketsup.

Enjoy!

~ Brock

Asian Spiced Crispy Wings

I'm a firm believer that good food doesn't have to take all day to prepare and doesn't need to have 500 ingredients. Simplicity can be gourmet. These wings are inspired by the flavors of Korean BBQ and teriyaki, but skip over to the frying pan for a crispy texture and juicy interior.

A grip of wings
1/4 Cup soy sauce
1/4 sugar
1 dash of sake
2 squirts of sesame oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tsp of fresh ginger, minced

Marinate the wings in the mixture for at least 1 hour. Drain off the wings and set aside. Get a plate full of corn starch and roll the wings in to cover.

Heat up 1inch deep vegetable oil to medium-high heat. Fry the wings on one side until golden brown, then turn em over. Drain off oil and top with green onions.

Enjoy!

~ Brock

Cream Cheese Puffs

You've had them at places like PF Changs, but why not enjoy them at home? They're simple to make and require three ingredients: wonton wrapper, cream cheese, and oil.

Lay out a wrapper, stuff it with a tablespoon of cream cheese, and wet the ends with water. Squeeze to close.

Heat up oil to medium heat (not too hot, or they'll burn before they turn golden brown). fry them around until the color is right. Be careful, because the cheese is super hot when they're ready.

Dip them in a sweet chili sauce or whatever sauce you like.

Enjoy!

~ Brock

Music Reviews - 5 Picks

If you're wondering what my reviews are all about, it's about finding you good music to enjoy. Stuff you probably haven't heard. Not necessarily tomorrow's stars...just some good tunes I found for you.

Think of me as your filter:

David Serby is one of those bands that is clean cut, fun and reminds you of better times (unless you're my age, then it reminds you of what you think might have been better times for your grandma). I don't want to hear any, "but I don't like country music"...that's just plain silly. Just grab your gal and swing her to the left. (Country/Americana)

I was partial to Albert King when I found him, because he's from the High Desert. He's only got one song up on Myspace, which is very disappointing, but you'll enjoy it. Typical blues with a snort of gospel, and a voice to match. (Blues)

Metric-Metric-Metrick caught me off guard. Suzzane Vega-ish, '80's-sh, fresh-ish, and progressive. I like it. You'll like it. (Electronica/Pop)

Little Willie G ain't so little. A little Bryan McNight, a little Stray Cats with and some straight up...is that Samba? I don't know, but he's not bad. (Gospel/R&B)

If you're part of the Abercrombie and Fitch set, you will like Lovers Make Liars. One of the few types of music I actually hate...with a passion...but I'm well-rounded, so check em out: Lovers Make Liars. (Pop)

Enjoy!

~ Brock

Music Review - 5 Picks

I've heard some complaining that there's too much food and not enough music, so take this...

The Blacks played our (Future Sounds) recent Rumble LA party and tore the place up. A three piece you don't want to miss. (Indie Rock)

Prime is one of those rappers you want to keep an eye on. He brings the essence of original West Coast style with beats and lyrics that speak today. He's on the move up and I would not be surprised if someone stretches out a hand with money...which I hope he refuses and keeps doing what he's doing. I've been following him for a while now and he just gets better with time. (Rap/Hip Hop)

Pacifika will be in your kitchen, in your bedroom, in your shower...you move to them. A nice Latin song with independent tones. (Latin)

The Moldy Peaches is an interesting compost of indie and folk. Yes, you heard them on Juno, but listen deeper. (Indie Folk)

Brent Gunter makes you want to dance...or watch someone dance. Sure, there's the genre that you know, but he brings his own taste, style, twist to it. Don't let the "smooth jam" fool you into giving up. Give him a shot. (Indie Flamenco)

Snoop around.

~ Brock

Pineapple Fried Rice

Making fried rice at home is easy and it's natural to make so much you have leftovers for a few more meals. Pineapple adds a nice tangy component to an otherwise typical savory meal.

Here's the low down...

Cook 2 cups of rice in a rice cooker or on the stove. I prefer a calrose variety, but use whichever you like. Let it cool to room temperature.



1 small brown onion, sliced
2-3 sweet Chinese sausages, sliced
1 cup drained and chopped pineapple
vegetable oil
2 eggs, scrambled
Oyster Sauce
Soy Sauce
Salt
Pepper

First, fry up the onion with some oil, until browned, but still crunchy. Flip it into a large bowl.
Next, fry up the sausage with some oil...maybe 3 or 4 minutes (it's not precooked, so be sure it's cooked). Flip into the bowl.
Fry the scrambled egg with oil, then flip into the bowl.
Same for pineapple.

Scrape out any burnt stuff in your frying pan, add new oil, then add your rice. Fry that up for a couple minutes, then add all the items from your bowl. Add about 2 TBS oyster sauce, and 1TBS soy sauce, add salt and pepper to taste. Personally, I like my fried rice to have intense flavor, so you need to experiment with amounts...I might do twice what I said here. Fry everything together until it's nice and fried.

Enjoy!

~ Brock

Poached Egg with Basil & Pimiento Vinaigrette

Using fresh ingredients sends your dishes over the top. I grow my own herbs, so I popped this basil straight off and into my mixing bowl. And you have to think about the pairing of textures for this one. I think a poached egg needs something crunchy or crusty to round off, but you also need to consider mopping up the yoke and crackers were not the right choice for that. Try a toasted french or sourdough bread on yours. Anyway, it was a nice and quick breakfast!

Poached Egg

Boil 2 cups water and 1/4 tsp salt in a shallow, small frying pan, then lower to a non-bubbling simmer. Ease egg into it and poach for 4 minutes (soft yoke). Make your vinaigrette while you're doing that.

Basil & Pimiento Vinaigrette

For 1 egg, use about 5 or 8 basil leaves. 4 or 5 small pieces of pimiento. 1 TSP olive oil. 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

You'll notice I added Brie to my crackers. That's up to you. I think eggs and cheese pair well, but with a poached egg, I didn't need the cheese.

Enjoy!

~ Brock