dia dos

I woke up at an ungodly hour to take a call from my bed while still horizontal. So naturally I had to go back to sleep and by the time my stomach pulled me out of bed for breakfast... it was lunch.
So I ate the creme de menthe brownie delivered by David pre-quarantine to fuel me through making and eating lunch:

...and subsequently dinner.
because it was a double portion of toasted rice and 豆干炒酸菜 (essentially dry tofu cooked with sour vegetable).





Materials:

-rice package probably from one of Laura's excess meal kits from last year
-pickled mustard greens...literally one of my favorite 'veggies' growing up
-dry seasoned tofu leftover from dumpling party...I basically describe it as tofu jerky
-ginger&&garlic which I always have on hand

-dried chilies
-star anise
-cloves
-sichuan peppercorns
-shaoxin cooking wine
...all a necessary part of a well stocked Chinese kitchen

Method:
Toast spices in oil, add sliced ginger and garlic just before adding sliced tofu to brown. Add chopped mustard greens. Meanwhile, melt some reserved pork fat* and toast rice until slightly browned. Add about a cup of water and cover to cook about 20 min or roughly when tofu and greens are done. Eat while listening to The Trailblazer Show podcast.

*seasoned pork fat
Reserved from the last time I made braised pork belly in obviously the most useful kitchen purchase I made in Ayesha Curry's store.

Which incidentally also went into this mochi challah bread that was my last bake before shelter in place. It didn't last until official quarantine, but it did make a nice addition to a final send off dinner the night before *hysterically crying face*. 

Recipe from Mandy Lee's book. But filled with pork fat, dates, and coffee.
Psst can you see the steam?