Sincerely wish all my friends Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! O(∩_∩)O~
Smoked Cornish Hen with Five-spice Powder
中文：五香熏鸡
Since the day we got the new Masterbuilt smoker earlier this year, we've become obsessed trying different recipes smoking a variety kinds of meat O(∩_∩)O~ I did a smoked Cornish hen this time with a little bit of Asian twist in it. It turns out gorgeous and quite tasty. It might just be our new favorite!
Ingredients：
1 Cornish hen
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons rice cooking wine
1 to 2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 to 2 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cups of water
salt to taste
Directions：
Add ground white pepper, rice cooking wine, sugar, soy sauce and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk while slowly adding water to the bowl.
Add Cornish hen. Massage for a few seconds. Cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate overnight. Flip the hen once or twice in between to marinate more evenly.
Preheat the smoker to 225 F/107 C
Add Cornish hen. Smoke for about 3 hours or until it is golden brown.
I have to tell you this is one of most beautiful smoked chickens I have ever seen O(∩_∩)O~
A duck has been smoked before adding the Cornish hen to smoker. Here is how to smoke a duck with sea salt and Sichuan peppercorns.
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Asian Peanut Butter and Brown Sugar Bread
中文食谱: 花生酱红糖小发面饼
This is another one of my comfort foods. Whenever I am under the weather or exhausted, I crave for these little bread rolls loaded with deliciousness and calories. Or sometimes I just want them, no excuses needed O(∩_∩)O~
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon yeast
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
Directions：
Microwave the milk on high for 20 to 30 seconds.
Add warm milk, along with flour, oil and salt to the bread machine. Sprinkle yeast on top.
Choose dough cycle and start the bread machine.
In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and peanut butter together
Try to mix as smoothly as possible
Allow the dough to proof for 20 minutes
Transfer the dough to a large well-dusted wooden board
With a large rolling pin, roll the dough into a large flat sheet , 1/4 inch in height
Roll it up
Roll from one end towards the other into a big lollipop of dough.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes
Roll the dough flat and thin again with the rolling pin
Roll it up again
Cut into 1.5 or 2 inches long pieces
Shape each piece into a ball
Gently roll them flat a little bit. Transfer them to a cookie pan lined up with silicone baking mat
Cover with plastic wrap and allow them to proof for another 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F / 204C
Bake in the oven for 14 to 16 minutes
The whole house smells so good when the bread is baked in the oven.
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Smoked Duck with Sea Salt and Sichuan Peppercorns
中文食谱: 椒盐熏鸭
We recently bought an electric smoker which, after a few uses, has proven to be a great toy for foodies like my husband and me.
We have been smoking ribs, brisket, chicken wings, chicken, duck and a lot of more since the day it was delivered to our house. One of the best and tastiest is smoked duck with sea salt and Sichuan peppercorns.
This is our new favorite, Masterbuilt electric analog smoker. Most electric smokers are dark colors. I am very pleased to find this bright red one. Isn’t it a beauty?
We were struggling between the models with and without glass front door. A few of my husband’s friends who have serious hobby of BBQ smoking told him it wouldn’t matter after a while because the smoke will taint the glass anyway. That helped and we ordered this one.
We were looking for small size, 30 inches. You might want bigger size if you have larger family than two.
Ingredients for smoked duck：
1 frozen duck, about 5 lbs
1 to 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
2 to 3 fine sea salt, or use more or less according to personal taste
Directions：
Most ducks we can get from grocery stores are frozen. Defrost it for a couple days in the refrigerator. And rinse well inside and out under running water.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add sea salt and Sichuan peppercorns.
Sautee until the salt slightly changes its color. At this point, you should be able to smell an intense flavor from Sichuan peppercorns too.
Rub the sea salt and Sichuan peppercorns immediately evenly inside and out.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple days.
Add smoke chips to designated smoker box. Preheat the smoker to 225 F/107 C
Place the duck on top rack. I use the middle rack for ribs
Close the door, sit back and relax!
When the duck is being smoked, I prepare some chicken wings coated with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, ground black pepper, ground cumin and salt.
Two hours later, add the wings to the bottom rack
The duck and ribs are looking good.
Check smoker box every couple hours. Refill it when chips are gone.
About 5 to 6 hours’ smoking time produce a beautiful smoked duck
ribs
And good looking wings too
Hot off smoke racks
With a sharp clever knife, chop the duck into small pieces
Smoky and tasty
A cold beer makes it perfect O(∩_∩)O~
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Interlochen camping & boating
Usually Labor Day marks the end of summer in Michigan. A lot camping sites gradually shut down for the season after Labor Day. However, it looks like we are having a longer summer in 2017. A couple heat waves have brought over ninety degree hot days even weeks upon us.
So we take advantage of that and go on camping.
The leaves are starting to change colors even though it is still very hot.
Set up our tent
Prepare to build a campfire
I plan to grill beef short ribs
ingredients：
2 lbs beef short ribs
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 to 2 tablespoons rice cooking wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Mix the beef short ribs and seasonings together. Refrigerate overnight. Pack in Ziploc bag and store it in cooler.
When the firewood is half burned, it is time to grill!
Heat a cast iron rack nearby fireside. When it gets hot, add beef short ribs. There is usually high amount of fat in short ribs which will prevent from sticking to the cooking rack.
Looking good
Ready to eat O(∩_∩)O~
BBQ and cold beers go hand in hand
This is the view we have when having dinner
Isn’t it gorgeous?
The second batch of short ribs is ready. The trick is to perfect campfire grilling is patience.
Bacon wrapped scallops and shrimps are next.
Sprinkle the scallops and shrimps with sea salt and freshly ground black peppers.
Wrap each scallop with a slice of bacon. Secure with bamboo sticks.
Skew the shrimps with bamboo sticks too.
The firewood is turning to charcoal. It is perfect for grilling.
Add bacon wrapped scallops and shrimps to the grill
Be patient. Drink some beer and relax
Bacon wrapped scallops will take some time to be cooked to perfection
Shrimps cook faster than scallops
Dessert is cinnamon rolls I bought from nearby grocery store
Heat up a cast iron skillet. Grease it with oil and add cinnamon rolls
Flip them over when half cooked.
To be honest, they are as good as I expected.
So we decide to drove to monomers for dessert
I have chocolate + pistachio flavor. My husband has chocolate + rocky road
The chocolate coated waffle cone is good. But chocolate is too thick to chew.
After dessert, we go hiking in the park for a while before it gets totally dark.
The moon hasn’t risen yet. When we look up, we can see the amazing star night sky. The sparkling stars are so bright and beautiful.
We walk to the lakeshore to get a better view.
We have been living in Michigan for years. But we haven’t seen such beautiful stars before.
We can even see the Milky Way very clear right upon us in the sky
I wake up early the next morning; sneak out the tent to watch the sun rise.
The sun isn’t up yet. The sky is turning color from gray to blue to purple to rose to deep pink
Here comes the sun!
My husband is up too.
We start another campfire for breakfast.
Heat a cast iron by the fireside. Add chopped bacon.
Add bacon wrapped scallops to the grill
Add diced cooked potatoes. I bought the mini potatoes from local farmer’s market. It is one of my favorites.
Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
When the potatoes is golden brown, add chopped green onion and rosemary
I enjoy campfire cooking even more than I realize
Alright, time to eat!
Make good use of the fire and grill some sweet corns
Grilled corns are sweet and light smoky; very tasty.
Lets cook and pose like an iron chef! O(∩_∩)O~
You think the breakfast is over?
Of course not!
Let there be smore! O(∩_∩)O~
I add a couple dark chocolate with caramel filling to cookies and briefly heat them up by the fireside too; just warm enough to melt the chocolate.
And toast the mashmarrows
Add the mashmarrowson top of chocolate
Now we have perfectly cooked S'Mores
Ok, now it is time to dissemble the tent and pack.
Moomers ice creams again
We drive to Traverse City downtown and rent a double kayak for 4 hours
I have my camera and keys locked on shore and take just my phone with me.
Traverse City downtown rive doesn’t look pleasant this time. So we turn around back into the lake.
The water near old mission peninsular is very clear and beautiful
4 hours later, we get back to the shore and ready to go home.
Another perfect camping trip accomplished! O(∩_∩)O~
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