Black pepper beef & cabbage stir-fry

Active: 20 minutes; Total: 20 minutes; Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Peppercorns, black; coarsely crushed	1 tablespoon
Garlic; grated	3 cloves
Sugar, light brown	1 teaspoon
Cornstarch	1 teaspoon
Salt, kosher	1 teaspoon +
Beef tenderloin; thinly sliced crosswise	¾ pounds
Oil, sunflower or other neutral	3 tablespoons
Soy sauce	2 tablespoons
Green cabbage; thinly sliced	½ small head
Vinegar, sherry	1 tablespoon
Sesame seeds; toasted, crushed	1 tablespoon
Scallions; thinly sliced	2
Rice, cooked

1. Add peppercorns, garlic, sugar, cornstarch, and salt to a medium bowl; stir to combine. 
2. Add the beef, and toss to coat. 
3. Heat the oil in a large wok over medium-high. 
4. Add the beef and cook, stirring frequently, until some of the edges are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. 
5. Add soy sauce and toss beef to coat, about 1 minute. 
6. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a bowl. 
7. Add the cabbage to the wok, spread in an even layer, and let cook, undisturbed, for 1 minute or so that some pieces caramelize in the pan. 
8. Toss and cook the cabbage, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. 
9. Stir in the vinegar, and season with salt. 
10. Return the beef and any juices back to the wok, and stir until well combined with the cabbage and warmed through, about 1 minute. 
11. Top with sesame seeds and scallions; serve with rice. 

Recipe mildly adapted from The New York Times Cooking by Sue Li.

Pineapple sauce

Active: 10 minutes; Total: 20 minutes; Yield: 2 cups 

Pineapple, fresh, finely chopped	2 cups
Sugar, dark brown	1/3 cup
Salt, fine sea	¼ teaspoon
Cornstarch	1 tablespoon
Corn syrup	¼ cup
Lemon juice	1 teaspoon

1. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, salt, and cornstarch. 
2. Stir in the corn syrup and pineapple; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. 
3. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
4. Remove from heat, and stir in the lemon juice. 
5. Cool completely before using; store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Hot fudge sauce

Active: 5 minutes; Total: 10 minutes; Yield: 3 cups 

Cream, heavy	2 cups
Butter, unsalted	4 tablespoons
Sugar, light brown	½ cup
Sugar, granulated	¾ cup
Salt, fine sea	¼ teaspoon
Chocolate, bittersweet, broken into small pieces	2 ounces
Dutch cocoa, sifted	1 ¼ cups
Vanilla extract	½ teaspoon

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, butter, sugars, and salt. 
2. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat; simmering for 45 seconds. 
3. Add the chocolate, and whisk to dissolve. 
4. Remove from heat, add the cocoa, and whisk until no lumps remain. 
5. Return the pan to low heat, and simmer the sauce until glossy, whisking constantly, about 20 seconds. 
6. Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla. 
7. Serve warm. 

Recipe from NYCooking.com.

Double Dutch dark chocolate ice cream

Active: 20 minutes; Total: 8 hours 30 minutes; Yield: 1.5 quarts 

Cream, heavy	2 cups
Buttermilk	1 cup
Sugar, dark brown	¾ cup
Sugar, granulated	2 tablespoons
Double Dutch dark cocoa	6 tablespoons
Eggs	5 yolks
Espresso powder	1 tablespoon
Salt, kosher	¼ teaspoon
Vanilla extract	2 teaspoons
Chocolate, dark (around 60%), chopped	3 ounces
Bourbon	1 tablespoon

1. In a saucepan, whisk together the cream, milk, sugars, cocoa, yolks, espresso powder, and salt; the mixture will appear lumpy but it will smooth out as it cooks. 
2. Over medium heat, warm the custard while whisking constantly, just until it begins to steam and is barely bubbling around the edges; don’t let it come to a boil. 
3. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and chocolate until smooth. 
4. Pour the custard into a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend for 30 seconds to ensure all the cocoa powder is broken down for a very smooth texture. 
5. Cover the bowl, with plastic wrap resting against the surface of the custard, and refrigerate until well chilled, preferably overnight. 
6. Pour the chilled custard into your ice cream maker, and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until it has a soft-serve consistency. 
7. During the last minute of churning, add the bourbon. 
8. Scrape the ice cream into a lidded container, and freeze until firm, at least 8 to 10 hours. 

Recipe mildly adapted from curlygirlkitchen.com.

Best banana bread

Active: 20 minutes; Total: 1 hour 30 minutes; Serves: 8 to 10

Butter, unsalted, melted	½ cup
Pecans, toasted, chopped	1 cup
Flour, all-purpose	1 ¾ cup
Sugar, granulated	½ cup
Baking soda	1 teaspoon
Cinnamon, ground	1 teaspoon
Salt, fine	½ teaspoon
Nutmeg, freshly grated	¼ teaspoon
Eggs, lightly beaten	2 large
Buttermilk, sour cream, or yogurt	½ cup
Sugar, brown	½ cup
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
Bananas, mashed	1 ½ cups

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F; lightly butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the pecans, flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, buttermilk, brown sugar, and vanilla; stir in the bananas. 
4. Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. 
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and lightly tap the pan on the counter to evenly distribute the batter. 
6. Bake until browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. 
7. Let the bread cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a rack, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely. 

Recipe from Food Network.

Martinis & variations

Martini

Gin, frozen, (Hendricks or Venus)	4 ounces
Vermouth, sweet	Splash
Olives or lemon rind	Garnish

1. Swirl the vermouth in a frozen martini glass, tossing any that doesn’t freeze to the glass. 
2. Pour in the gin.
3. Garnish with olives or lemon.

Appletini

Vodka, Skky	1 ½ ounces
Vodka, apple flavored	1 ½ ounces
Green apple syrup	¼ ounce
Lemon  juice, fresh	¼ ounce
Apple slice	Garnish

1. Shake all ingredients (excluding the garnish) with ice.
2. Pour into a chilled glass.
3. Garnish with apple slice, if you’re feeling fancy.

Chocolatini

Bailey’s Irish Creme	2 ounces
Creme de Cacao	1 ounce
Vodka, Skky	1 ounce
Cocoa powder	1 tablespoon
Sugar, brown	1 tablespoon

1. Combine the cocoa powder and sugar on a plate. 
2. Shake all liquid ingredients with ice. 
3. Wet the rim of a chilled glass with Bailey’s, and coat the glass’s rim with the cocoa-sugar mixture. 
4. Pour the chocolatini into the glass, and serve.

Shoyu ramen

Active: 1 hour 15 minutes; Total: 6 hours 30 minutes; Serves: 4

Broth, chicken, low-sodium	8 cups
Mushrooms, shiitake, dried	16
Kombu	30 grams
Bonito flakes	20 grams
Mirin	1 ¼ cups
Soy sauce	1 ¼ cups
Sake	½ cup
Sugar, granulated	¼ cup
Ginger, sliced	2-inch piece
Scallions, halved	3
Garlic, peeled	3 cloves smashed + 8 cloves sliced
Sugar, brown	2 packed tablespoons
Water	1 ½ cups + 6 cups + 6 cups + 6 cups
Pork belly, skin-on	1 pound
Eggs, cold	4 large
Oil, canola	½ cup
Cayenne	1 tablespoon
Sesame seeds	2 teaspoons
Wheat noodles, fresh	4 ounces

Chicken dashi 

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, bring the broth to a bare simmer; remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes. 
2. Add the mushrooms and kombu, and let steep for 5 minutes. 
3. Add bonito flakes, and let steep 5 minutes more. 
4. Strain the dashi; reserve solids. 

Tare & chashu 

1. In a large pot over medium heat, bring the mirin, soy sauce, sake, sugars, ginger, scallions, smashed garlic, and 1 ½-cups water to a low simmer, then reduce heat to low. 
2. Meanwhile, in a medium pot over medium heat, bring the pork and 6-cups water to a bare simmer; immediately drain, and gently rinse the pork. 
3. Transfer the pork to the pot with the tare, and bring to a simmer. 
4. Cover and cook over low heat until tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes. 
5. Let cool 20 minutes, then strain and reserve the tare liquid. 
6. Refrigerate the pork and tare separately. 

Nitamago 

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, bring 6-cups water to a boil. 
2. Prink the bottom of the eggs with a pin. 
3. Gently lower the eggs into the pot with a spoon, and simmer for 6 minutes; drain. 
4. Transfer the eggs to an ice bath, and let cool 5 minutes. 
5. Thoroughly and gently crack the eggshells, then return to the ice bath to cool for 10 minutes more. 
6. Carefully peel the eggs, and transfer to a medium bowl. 
7. Pour tare over; weigh down the eggs with the reserved spent kombu to fully immerse in liquid. 
8. Let marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, and up to 12. 

Garlic la-yu 

1. In a small pot over very low heat, simmer the garlic in canola oil, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 15 minutes. 
2. Remove from heat, stir in the cayenne, then the seeds; let cool. 

Serving 

1. Slice the chashu into 2-inch-wide slices; torch lightly, if desired. 
2. In a pot of boiling water, cook the noodles, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes; drain. 
3. In a small pot over medium heat, bring the dashi and mushrooms to a simmer; cook 1 minute. 
4. Transfer the dashi to a serving bowl, then add tare and noodles. 
5. Top with mushrooms, chashu, nitamago, scallion, and a drizzle of la-yu. 

Recipe from Delish magazine by June Xie.