Slow-roasted pork belly char siu and crispy turnip cakes with quick pickles and confit shiitake mushrooms

Cooking time: 1 day (marinate) + 3-4 hours (slow roast)

• Char siu marinade recipe
• 3-4 lb pork belly or pork shoulder
• package of turnip cake
• shiitake mushrooms
• 1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and sliced (about 1/4 an English hot house)
• 1 green onion
• salt, sugar, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar

1. Marinate pork at least 8 hours, but less than 24 hours
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
3. While oven preheats, peel and slice cucumber into rounds.
4. Combine 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp salt and 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar with cucumbers in a bowl. Mix until dissolved, cover, and refridgerate.
5. Place pork into heavy oven proof pan or roasting rack and into oven
6. Check pork every hour, making sure to baste pork with its own fat and turn pan sideways for even browning.
7. During last hour of roasting, add mushrooms directly into pan to slow-cook.
8. Pork is done when you can insert a fork or knife straight through to the other side with little to no resistance. Let rest for 20 minutes while you…
9. Add dab of butter/oil into pan and crisp up turnip cakes on medium heat.
10. Slice green onions thinly for garnish.
11. Spoon some remaining fat/roasting liquid and combine with 1 tbspn hoisin sauce.
12. Arrange everything together with alternating rice cake, pickle, pork. Drizzledrop remaining pork marinade/fat sauce over dish and green onions.

Almost Bakesale Betty Fried Chicken Sandwich (recipe:http://bit.ly/ijDgid - changed the coleslaw greens, took out jalapenos)

Salmon Tartare - I’m a fan of no-cook dishes. And salmon. And avocado.

Valentine’s Dessert: Molten Chocolate Cake (formerly known as failed Double Chocolate cookies/brownies)

Moules Mariniere - Mussels in White Wine Sauce

• 1 lb of mussels per person
• 1/2 cup dry white wine per lb of mussels
• 1 shallot, minced
• lots of garlic, minced (I used almost a whole clove)
• salt, pepper, parsley
• butter and oil
• a lid or aluminum foil to cover your pan

1. Clean mussels, making sure there’s no dirt or “beards” on the mussels
2. Heat pan to medium-high and add butter and oil
3. Once butter starts sizzling, add shallots and garlics, stir for around 30 seconds
4. Add the mussels, spreading them evenly across the pan
5. Add dry white wine, and more butter
6. Cover pan with lid or drape with aluminum foil so that mussels can steam
7. Check the mussels in about 3-4 minutes, if they’re open they are done!
8. Turn off the heat, get a spoon and sauce the mussels so that garlic, shallots, and sauce get into all the nooks.
9. Sprinkle with some parsley, have a field day eating.

Homemade Pizza: mozzarella, blue cheese, corn, caramelized onions, zucchini, garlic, lime juice

This dough takes 1 advance day of prep so make it the night before and go to sleep. Since toppings are self explanatory, here’s the pizza dough recipe adapted Peter Reinhart and Jim Lahey:

Makes 2 13”x18” sheet pan pizzas, or about 3 12” round pizzas

• 2 1/4 cup bread flour (can use all purpose if that’s all you got)
• 7/8 cup of slightly warm water (almost a cup, I wouldn’t worry too much about this, just don’t go OVER a cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast (or instant)
• flour or cornmeal for dusting
• oil (optional)

1. Mix the flour, water, yeast, and salt together until there are no flour streaks
2. Separate dough into two or three equal pieces, depending on how many pizzas you want to make
3. Lightly oil (just a few drops!) bowls to put your dough pieces into so they don’t stick
4. Put dough balls into the fridge overnight or for at least 12 hours. Dough should have significantly risen or doubled in size.
5. Pull dough out of the fridge and let rest for about 30-45 minutes at room temperature.
6. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
7. Shape dough into desired shape, working from the middle to stretch the dough (I use my hands). If dough is resistant and bounces back, rest for another 10-15 minutes and return to it.
8. Put all your desired toppings on the pizza.
9. Bake for around 12 minutes on the middle rack, or until cheese is bubbling and crust is browned.

Valentine’s Dinner #1: Ribeye and roasted vegetables with bacon and blue cheese.

What you need: Ribeye steak, carrots, brussel sprouts, bacon, blue cheese, butter, salt, pepper, oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Toss carrots and brussel sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper to coat
3. Spread vegetables onto a sheet pan or other oven-proof pan and put into oven for 25-30 minutes, turning and moving vegetables at the halfway point.
4. Meanwhile, generously salt and pepper both sides of the ribeye steak.
5. Heat cast-iron pan or stainless steel pan to medium high with dab of butter (non-stick pans don’t brown meat too well)
6. When pan feels hot and butter is bubbling, add steak to the pan. For about a 1” thick steak, cook 7-8 mins total for medium rare.
7. When steak is done, let it rest for 10 minutes. If you cut into it now, all your awesome juices will gush out like a delicious river….but not in your mouth.
8. While steak rests , cook however many bacon strips you want (I used 3 for two steaks), and crumble some blue cheese.
9. Pull out the veggies from the oven when they are browned and give easily when poked with a fork. Toss the bacon and blue cheese into the veggies and mix it all up.
10. Grab yourself a plate and eat.

Soon, I will have a party to make these. Or just eat.