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Dinner - Saturday June 9th

All Chinese menu - Steamed Ribs With Black Bean Sauce, Shrimp Rolls in Seaweed, Shanghai-fried Noodles, Stir-fried Vegetables, BBQ Duck in Plum Sauce, Curry Sliced Beef With Green Peppers

And a Caribbean dessert…

Spicy Gingerbread With Cooling Mango Sauce

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Basic Sweet Yeast Dough

Enough for approximately 24 buns or rolls

1 Tbsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
¼ cup warm water
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
½ cup yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
3¼ - 3¾ cups flour

In large bowl of mixer, dissolve yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in water. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add 1/3 cup sugar, eggs, butter, yogurt, vanilla, salt and 1½ to 2 cups flour. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead about 4 to 6 minutes or until smooth. Dough will feel soft and buttery, but not sticky. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours. Shape and bake as in following recipes.

Apple-Cheddar Ring

½ recipe of Basic Sweet Yeast Dough
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1½ cups peeled, finely chopped apple
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup shredded cheese
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ cup chopped almonds
1 egg white blended with 2 tsp. water for glaze

Punch down dough and knead 30 seconds. Let rest while combining other ingredients, except glaze. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 15”x 10” rectangle. Spread with soft butter and cover evenly with apple-cheese mixture. Roll up tightly, jelly-roll fashion. Pinch seam and ends to seal. Place on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, seam-side down. Shape roll into a circle; pinch ends together to join. Using a sharp knife, make 12 cuts around circle about 2/3 of the way into the roll. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350F. Brush dough with egg-white glaze. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until ring is golden brown. Cool on rack at least 30 minutes before serving. Cut into 12 pieces.

Cranberry Sticky Buns

Makes 12 buns

1 cup pecans, chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup butter, room temperature
½ cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Flour
½ recipe of Basic Sweet Yeast Dough

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter two round cake pans. Scatter pecans in single layer on the bottom of the pans. Mix together cranberries, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 15” x 10” rectangle. Spread with cranberry mixture. Beginning at long side, tightly roll up dough. Using a serrated knife, slice into 12 pieces. Place each roll, cut-side down, in the two pans. Let rise until doubled.

Bake until buns are golden, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and turn onto rack.

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Papaya and Garlic Soup (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Serves 4

3 cups or more chicken stock
3 cups peeled and coarsely chopped papaya
8 medium garlic cloves
1 cup whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring 3 cups stock, papaya and garlic to a boil in heavy large saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. Add cream and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Puree in blender. Return to pan and reheat, thinning with more stock if desired. Serve immediately.

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Mountain Breakfast (adopted from Floyd on Spain)

Serves 2

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 red peppers, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
15 ounce can haricot beans, not drained
4-6 Italian sausages or chorizo, barbecued and chopped
Fresh black pepper

Fry onion, peppers and garlic in oil for about 10 minutes. Add beans and juice. Add sausages and cook for about 5 minutes. Season with fresh pepper.