Yogurtsoda Gratuitous food and travel.

i don’t quite know how it happened but somehow i ended up a little bit last minute with the holiday shopping this year. usually i have everything done ahead of time, but with one week left i’m only seventy-five percent of the way there. i avoided the crowds and did some of my shopping online, but i’m keeping my fingers crossed for the packages to arrive on time.

i’ve caught a cold but despite all the sniffling and sneezing, i’ve kept up with the cooking:

beijing sesame-fried chicken

braised seafood-stuffed tofu with vegetables

thai seafood green curry

olive and anchovy bites (served alongside chicken and wild mushroom ravioli with fava beans)

pumpkin chai pots de creme

Here’s the recipe for the fried chicken:

1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces

marinade:
3 T soy sauce
3 rice wine
1 1/2 T cornstarch
1/2 t chinese five-spice
1/4 t pepper

1/2 c cornstarch
1/2 c panko
2 T toasted sesame seeds
1 egg white, lightly beaten
cooking oil for frying

1. combine marinade ingredients in a bowl. add chicken and stir to coat; let stand for 10 minutes.

2. combine cornstarch, panko, and sesame seeds in a bowl; set aside.

3. place a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. add oil to a depth of 1/4-inch. dip chicken in egg white and then dredge in cornstarch mixture. add chicken to pan and fry, covered, turning once, until meat near bone is no longer pink and chicken is golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. remove and drain on paper towels.