cia – Page 6 – Writing With My Mouth Full

Urban Spring Gardening for Low-Light Plants

It’s finally spring in New York City and I have to accept the fact that the muscari bulbs that I planted–and that bloomed last year–froze during the winter and have no chance of coming back up again. This means the tulips from Amsterdam that I planted prior to them are definitely d-e-a-d.

For this season, I opted to spend more money but invested in plants and flowers that thrive in part- to no-shade because of the lack of sunlight on my terrace. I’m just hoping that the unpredictable weather does not bring me a heat wave before spring ends.

Here’s a list of plants that I planted that are also Zone 7 to Zone 9 friendly, or for the New York City area, but also do not need direct sunlight. A reputable nursery should have them available:

So to start, I lifted up all the moss that grew in my planter during the off season using a small garden shovel and set them aside on a tray.

I then used a garden clawer to mix, till, and reinvigorate the soil using a lot of elbow grease. I made sure I switched from using my right arm to my left arm just to balance the soreness I will feel later with this workout. I poured in the new soil until there was enough to fill the planter near the brim again. I then continued mixing the two kinds of soil; this is to distribute the new soil’s nutrients to the old one.

Then I planned how the plants will go by arranging them in place while still in their pots. I even took photos to see if I wanted them symmetrical or not. The taller plants went on the back, while the smaller flowers went in the front. The softer plants went on the side, like the ferns and the euphorbias.

I started putting the plants in place. Since I decided on a symmetrical look, I worked from either side and then went towards the center. I was able to adjust the plants to a different position when it was necessary. When I was happy with the placement, I added more soil to top certain empty spots off and gently pressed down around the new plants to secure them in place. The taller plants like the elephant ears and the bleeding hearts needed to stand, so I added plant supports to hold them straight up.

I then filled in the empty spots with the moss. They made such a huge difference; they made everything more green and lush! I only watered the next morning to make sure the soil has settled and wouldn’t run off the top.

It’s been 4 weeks now and we’ve only had a couple of days warm weather so far which I prepared for by watering the plants in the morning before I left for work. Everything still looks great–cross my fingers–and the peonies are starting to come out.

Related post/s:
I high recommend these gardening tools:
– trowel or gardening shovel
– a garden fork or a claw rake
– or get the 3-piece gardening set
– you will need soft garden gloves; I like them better because I can feel the soil without dirtying my fingernails
– these plant supports are everywhere inside and outside my apartment

Instant Pot: Lu Rou Fan, Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly

Don’t think I haven’t been using my Instant Pot–I have–but I haven’t found a cool new toy that could write this post for me while I’m actually going through the recipe. So recipes are being tested, but I haven’t made the time to sit and write and edit them down.

Here’s one though, a remake of an old Taiwanese favorite for the Instant Pot. I cut the recipe for you in half so it’s perfect for 2-4 people. At the very last minute, I ended up adding a can of water chestnuts for crunch because you can imagine how the pork belly pieces were super giving (they were saaaaawft) after pressurizing them.

Do me a favor: the next time you eat a tangerine, keep the peel and air-dry it, and then store it in an air-tight container for the next time you cook this recipe again. I know you will.

Ingredients:
1 lb skin-on pork belly, cut into 1″ pieces
3 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
3 bay leaves
2 pieces tangerine peel
2 slices fresh ginger
1 tbsp sugar
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 1/4 cup hot water until soft, saving the water
1/4 cup Shaoxing wine
3 tbsps light soy sauce
2 tbsps dark soy sauce
3 hardboiled eggs, peeled

1. Using the sauté function of your Instant Pot, add the pork. First in one layer all smooshed in. Make them sweat. They will render fat right away. Mix them a couple of times to avoid stickiness and then you can add the rest of the pork belly and do the same for the other batch, with the already heated pieces on top. Continue to mix them to keep rendering fat and to avoid them from sticking to the bottom.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the eggs. Include the mushroom water. Stir a little to incorporate everything together. The pork will render more water when you pressurize, so no need to worry about any burns.
3. Cover and lock the lid properly. Select the Pressure Cook function for 20 minutes. When it’s done, do a quick release after venting and letting the steam out.
4. Switch back to the sauté function and stir everything just to make sure flavors have melded. Season with salt if necessary. Serve with steamed white rice and top with the eggs cut in half.

Flash-Fried Squid

I wanted to eat shrimp tonight but picked up a pound of squid instead from Whole Foods that called out my name. My intent was to eat light for dinner with the least amount of time spent cooking. I got just that with this Asian-flavored salad.

I used the Chinatown-bought wok here that I inherited from my brother. He said he couldn’t really control how hot it got so he didn’t become a fan. I didn’t mind a new toy in the kitchen as long as it’s lightweight and could be stored inside the stove.

Flash-frying in a wok can be super rewarding. They key is to keep it moving, so while you’re adding the rest of the ingredients, you’re sautéing and tossing the squid pieces at the same time. All you need is about 3 minutes for the pound of squid here; any longer and the squid will be too tough and chewy.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 lemongrass stalk, coarse outer layer peeled, softer inner core, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
a small knob of ginger, peeled, sliced into thin matchsticks
2 Thai red chiles
1 lb squid, cleaned, patted very dry, mantles sliced into rings and tentacles separated
2 scallions, sliced diagonally
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsps, Shaoxing wine
salt, pepper

1. Heat a wok until almost smoking. Add peanut oil. Turn down the heat to low-medium. Sauté lemongrass, garlic, ginger, and the Thai chiles.
2. Before the garlic gets brown, turn up the heat back to high, add and flash-fry the squid for 1 minute.
3. Toss in the scallions, sugar, Shaoxing wine, and season with salt and pepper. Keep flash-frying for another minutes until the wine practically disappears.

Instant Pot: Pork Shoulder with Pineapple and Red Bell Pepper

What do you do when you have a whole fresh pineapple leftover from a party? This is a great mix of sweet and sour. Waiting to add the red bell pepper for last leaves them tender and with more bite than if you include them in the pressure cooking. Same for the pineapple: they will cook just enough to produce more juice, but not so much that your stew is syrupy. This is even better the next day when all flavors have melded.

Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 white onion, chopped
1 lb pork shoulder, cut into chunks
a small knob of ginger, sliced into matchsticks
1/4 cup soy sauce
oregano
half of a whole pineapple, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, chopped
oil, salt, pepper

1. Using the sauté function of your Instant Pot, heat some oil. Sauté the garlic until golden brown, and then the onions until translucent. Add the pork and brown them on all sides.
2. Stir in the ginger and the soy sauce, and season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Add about 1/4 cup of water. Cover and lock the lid properly. Select the Pressure Cook function for 15 minutes. When it’s done, do a quick release after venting and letting the steam out.
3. Switch back to the sauté function. Add the pineapple and red bell pepper and cook until the bell pepper is tender. Season until you get a nice combination of sweet and sour.

Instant Pot: Chana Masala, Punjabi Spiced Chickpea Curry

Mark Wilson of Co.Design is more or less a vegetarian now, and so when I wanted yet another curry-inspired recipe for the Instant Pot I turned to him. The original one uses amchoor, a dried unripe mango powder used in Punjabi cooking to provide sourness. I didn’t want to buy yet another spice to add to my pantry, so I found the greenest mango I could find and cut off two generous cheeks from it and finely chopped it. The key is sourness, not bitterness, so make sure there is no peel involved.

If you don’t have time to soak chickpeas overnight, you may use chickpeas in a can; just make sure you rinse and drain them well.

Ingredients:
2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, drained, rinsed
vegetable oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tsps garlic, minced
2 tsps ginger, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 green mango slices, chopped
2 tsps coriander, grounded
2 tsps, cumin, grounded
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cayenne
1 black cardamom
a handful of cilantro leaves
salt, pepper

1. Using the sauté function of your Instant Pot, heat some oil. Add the onion and bay leaf and stir-fry for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, stir, then add the chopped tomatoes and mango and cook until the tomatoes break down. Add the spices and stir.
2. Add the chickpeas and about 2 cups of water. Cover and lock the lid properly. Select the Pressure Cook function for 35 minutes. When it’s done, do a quick release after venting and letting the steam out.
3. Discard the cardamom and the bay leaves. Serve in a bowl and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Related post/s:
This is the same model as my Instant Pot