McKenna's Cookbook
Main Course Cooking School
Steamed Pork Dumplings
16 dumpling skins
1/2 ground pork
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (Shoaoxing) or dry sherry
1 large egg white lightly beaten
2 teaspoons of tapioca starch
2 tablespoons of finely minced fresh water chestnuts (or jicama)
2 tablespoons minced bamboo shoots
2 tablespoons minced green onions
salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
How to Make Your Dumplings:
Pour and Whisk together your sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine, egg white and tapioca starch. Add this mixture to (raw) the pork and mix well. Mince your water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and green onions and mix in to the pork mixture. Next, season with salt and pepper. Fill a large wok about half full of water and place over high to medium heat until boiling. Place a tall bamboo steamer on top of the boiling water for steam and place lettuce on the bottom of the steamer to ensure that the dumplings do not stick. Place the dumplings in the bamboo steamer, leaving space in between each dumpling. TIP: to make sure your sticky dumplings don't stick to the bamboo steamer, place lettuce down under the dumplings. Cover the dumplings with a lid and steam until the dumplings are translucent in color which would be around 10-15 minutes. TIP: to get the dumpling skins to stick together, spread water on the edge of the dumpling circle to stick and hold your filling better. Pinch the edges of the dumpling too to help the filling stay in place.
No Yeast Pizza Dough
Ingredients You Need:
2 3/4 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
How to Make Your Dough:
In a large stainless steel bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix throughly. Add the the water and oil to the dry mix, and knead until you have a firm ball. Add up to 1/4 cup flour or 1/2 cup of water to get the right consistency. TIP: Use baking powder instead of yeast for a quicker process. The baking powder will make the dough rise like yeast will. TIP: To make your pizza dough and begin making a pizza, roll out your dough on a hard surface but sprinkle flour on your surface to ensure that the dough won't stick.
Beefy- Cheesy Calzones
1 onion, chopped
2 minced cloves of garlic
1 sweet green pepper sliced
1 cup sliced mushroom (if preferred)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 grated carrot
3/4 cup tomato sauce
2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
How to Make Your Calzones:
In skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef for five minutes and break up the meat. Add onion, garlic, green pepper, mushrooms, basil, salt and pepper and cook until onions for about 5 minutes. TIP: You can sauté your vegetables and know when they are done when the bell peppers and onions become softer. Stir in carrot and tomato sauce. Next, roll out the dough into four 8 inch circles. Place the meat filling over half of the dough and sprinkle with cheese. Fold dough over and pinch to seal. TIP: grab a fork and press down the edges to seal the dough so none of the filling falls out. TIP: Poke a couple holes in the top of the calzone to perforate the inside of the calzone and allow heat to escape. Lastly, place calzones on baking sheet and dust with flour. Bake in center for 20 minutes in a 425 degree oven.
Molten Chocolate Cake
6 (1 ounce) squares of bittersweet chocolate
2 (1 ounce) squares of semisweet chocolate
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 stick) of butter
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of orange liqueur (if preferred)
How to Make Your Molten Cake:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease four 6 ounce custard cups. TIP: You could also grease the custard cups with butter and coat the butter in sugar for a better taste and to ensure no sticking. Then, melt the chocolates and butter in a double boiler until smooth. Add the flour and sugar to chocolate mixture. Stir in the eggs and yolks until smooth. TIP: for a fluffy cake, whisk eggs until it gets to a light yellow color and become airy. Stir in the vanilla (and orange liqueur if preferred). Divide the batter in each custard cup and place in oven for 14 minutes. The center will be runny to have a "molten" style cake. Finally, run a knife in between the edge of the cake and custard cup to loosen the sides of the dessert and place on a plate and serve! :)
TIP: After placing your dessert on plate, sprinkle powdered sugar over your molten chocolate cake for a sweet taste and garnish.
Classic Caesar Salad Dressing
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 1/2 lemons)
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon of dry mustard
1 teaspoon of anchovy paste
2 gloves of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1 cup of finely grated parmesan cheese
How to Make Your Dressing:
Combine all ingredients until well combined and serve over crisp romaine lettuce and serve. TIP: Pour salad dressing over your lettuce right before you eat to ensure that the lettuce doesn't become soggy from the dressing and the lettuce stays crisp. Toss dressing evenly for a great taste! :)