sunshine on a cloudy day - dehydrated citrus, meal trains & gluten-free egg tarts
sunshine on a cloudy day - dehydrated citrus, meal trains & gluten-free egg tarts
'of rice & yams' no.3
Last week was all about spending less time on screens and allowing my creative juices to flow in the kitchen. Here are some of the things that came from it:
CITRUS SZN 🍊🍋
As 4 pm is feeling more like midnight these days, I aimed to bring in a little sunshine to gloomy November. I thinly sliced some lemons and oranges, laid them on a baking sheet with a wire rack, and let them bask in my oven at 200°F for about 6 hours.
The photo above captures the halfway point of this transformation (I had to take advantage of the glow during golden hour)! You’ll know they're ready when the lemons develop a deep amber hue and sound like poker chips when dropped. Stash these vibrant slices in an airtight jar for up to a year, or make small batches for a fresher supply.
Toss them into your water, cocktails, mulled wine, or anything that needs a citrusy pick-me-up this winter—soups, stews, etc. When life gives you lemons, dehydrate them and make sunshine!
✨
COMING TOGETHER IN COMMUNITY
I recently learned about the concept of a meal train, and I'm completely on board. It's a thoughtful way to rally a modern village to cook and deliver meals to new moms in your life (or to loved ones recovering at home).
For my dear friend, Sophia, I made:
Papaya Pork Bone Broth: A nutrient-rich concoction perfect for postpartum recovery. Simply combine 1.5 pounds of pork bones, 1 small papaya, 1 carrot, 2 slices of ginger, a few dried scallops or oysters, small handfuls of coix seeds/job’s tears, red dates, figs, peanuts, cashews, and soybeans in 4 L of water. Pressure cook for 45 minutes or simmer for 2 hours. Skim off excess fat and season with salt. Completely soothing for the body and soul.
Stir-Fried Chicken Thighs with Basil: Recipe in my upcoming cookbook 😉.
Banana Fibre Muffins - Always on rotation in our household for a quick and easy morning bite.
Gluten-Free Egg Tarts (Daan Tats): See below.
To organize your own meal train, visit their website here.
✨
MAKING GLUTEN THINGS, GLUTEN-FREE 🪄
A big part of my work involves sharing foods and recipes that embody my Chinese-Canadian upbringing with my gluten-free partner. The real kicker was realizing that many foods close to my heart were suddenly off-limits. This revelation was exactly what sparked my quest to make the gluten-free world a tastier place.
Last week, I found myself craving an egg tart, but this time, I wanted to create a gluten-free version so that Reid could savour his very first egg tart.
We’ve been turning to Katarina Cermelj’s ‘Baked to Perfection’ for all things gluten-free baking. She jumped into the gluten-free scene just before starting her PhD in Inorganic Chemistry, and her recipes are top-notch. For the egg tarts, I gave her ‘Rough Puff Pastry’ a try, which involves grating frozen butter to develop flakey layers – a pretty brilliant move.
I also referenced Kristina Cho's egg tart recipe, since she’s the queen of Chinese baked goods, doubling the egg custard since the mini tart pans I got were a bit deeper than I wanted.
Many times, my culinary creations draw inspiration from those who paved the way before me, and I'm dedicated to acknowledging their influence. These two sources played a crucial role in shaping the end product—these egg tarts—that I was so happy to share.
The crust turned out delightfully flaky and buttery, more so than any other gluten-free puff pastry I’ve tried. It just didn’t achieve the golden colour I was hoping for (my oven is also to blame). Using a fluted cookie cutter for the dough would also make the edges of the crust more aesthetically pleasing.
As for the egg custard, it was perfect – light, not too sweet, and silky smooth. A solid 9/10, and I’ll definitely be making these again. Maybe I’ll try flavouring the custard with pandan or Thai tea next time!
✨
RECENT JOYS
Reid’s first tattoo is a sweet potato vine, perfectly in sync with the theme of this newsletter! You could say we’re pretty much on the same wavelength. In addition to yams, sweet potatoes are a lifeline in a gluten-free diet.
🎵 Spotify Wrapped indicates that my top genres are a mix of indie, soul, pop, and nu disco. If you’re into that, give this a listen!
📺 RENAISSANCE – Beyoncé is an absolute legend. The entire behind-the-scenes look at her concert tour is mind-blowing and surreal. Let us all channel her confidence and grace into our lives 💃🏻
📖 Food & Wine’s How We Holiday Issue – Featuring Kristina Cho’s gorgeous Caramelized White Chocolate Pavlova on the cover, this issue is packed with 83 recipes and plenty of holiday treats. I love flipping through a physical magazine.
That’s all for this week!
✌🏼 Peace, love, and good food,
Jannell