Megan

Hi, I’m Abby, and my husband is James. I operate a food blog, and he has a meat distribution business. Together, we love food, ingredients, kitchen equipment, and every cooking method there is.

I have always loved cooking, but in my teenage years, I did not really know if I wanted to make a career out of it. I loved to experiment with different methods of cooking but without hi-tech equipment.

I remember being fascinated by sous vide and using an ice cooler as improvised pot. I also didn’t have a vacuum-sealer and used instead of the water displacement trick as an alternative. This is my sous vide story.

I saw sous vide on TV, and mostly, it is a cooking method where food is placed in food bags, dunked under water with perfectly controlled temperature and time, and when it’s done, the food is beautifully cooked and flavored.

Different foods, same benefits

Food is cooked so tender

Steaks and ribs are my favorite. I like to prepare short ribs braised for about 70 hours, at 136 degrees Fahrenheit. Another favorite is the beef sirloin steak tips, cooked for an hour at 130 degrees Fahrenheit. They literally just melt in your mouth.

Food is not directly placed under or over a fire but is cooked by the temperature of the water. Since the whole bag of food is submerged under water, it is cooked to be so tender, but not dry or flavorless.

Food is cooked evenly

All sides of the food is thoroughly cooked, with no side undercooked or the other side overcooked, which is a more common mistake when each side gets a turn on the grill or in the frying pan.

I like to put in shrimps or lobster tails inside a bag, add butter to it, and dip it into the sous vide bath. They will come out beautiful, moist, firm and very flavorful.

Food is flavorful

With the meats, I put in a dry rub or sometimes a marinade inside the bag itself, so as they slowly cook, the flavor seeps into the surfaces of the meat.

If you think sous vide is only for meats and chicken, you are so wrong. I like my carrots cooked the sous vide way, too. I put them inside the bag, stew them in their own juices at 183 degrees Fahrenheit, and they come out so tender yet crispy. I then give it a quick toss in the frying pan for the juices to be reduced to a glaze for more flavor.

Different tools, different stories

I didn’t start with my beautiful Anova, and Joule, or with my good FoodSaver sealer. I started as a teenager just grabbing anything in the kitchen.

What to do if you don’t have vacuum-sealer?

It is essential to remove the air from the bag since it affects the cooking time and the temperature. The best way to do it is using a vacuum-sealer, like the FoodSaver that I have now.

You put the bag inside a food bag with its marinade or with spices and dry rub. Vacuum-seal the bag to remove the air. With a proper vacuum sealer, this step is done fast and efficiently.

If you don’t have a vacuum-sealer, like me years ago, do what I did:

• I got a zipper-lock freezer bag, put the foods inside, and then put the bag in a pot with water, making sure the open top does not get submerged.
• I used my hands under water holding the bag and pushing out the water slowly.
• I submerged the bag lower into the water, leaving only the top not overwhelmed, and when I couldn’t go any lower, and I’ve pushed out the air enough, I closed the zipper top.

This water displacement method may not be perfect but it is enough to get the sous vide done.

Use the immersion circulator

This is one equipment you really need to have. Put it inside the tub or pot.

It is the tool that heats the water, and where you set it at a specific temperature, for a precise length of time.

Options for containers

1. You can get a water oven with a tub of its own but it takes up much space compared to a wand-type circulator.
2. Or you can use any old stock pot as long as it is deep enough to hold water.
3. Use a plastic container specifically for sous vide cooking, like a Rubbermaid plastic container that can be big enough for large family cooking.

If you are using an immersion circulator, try if you can clip it on the sides of your container. Otherwise, you would have to hold on to it for a long time. The best container would be the Rubbermaid that comes in two different sizes. It has provision to hold up the immersion circulator.

My favorite sous-vide tips:

Over the years, I have discovered a few hacks and tips, and I would like to share this with you:

1. If you are using a dry rub of spices, put a little olive oil inside the bag so the meats will not eat into the plastic.
2. After sous vide cooking, you can put the meat on the grill or a frying pan very quickly to give it some color. Straight from sous vide, it will look unappetizing in its gray-brown color.
3. It is okay to use a big container, but the bigger it is, the longer time it will take the water to its desired temperature, so if you cook for just a small family of 5, you can get a small sized container instead.
4. I use hot water from the faucet instead of cold, that way I reach the desired hot temperature faster.

Conclusion

Sous vide is not complicated at all. You don’t even need to say it right as the French do to learn how to do it.

I personally like doing sous vide because it is easy – put in a bag, vacuum seal, swim, set the temperature and time, and that is it. It does not take much effort, and while it is cooking (as it can take hours), I don’t even need to be there to check if it is overcooked. I can do other tasks while cooking.

Eventually, I also discovered Joule and an efficient app that alerts me on my phone when my sous vide are done.

Now, I do sous vide in our restaurant, and I still do it at home for my family. Different equipment and tools, different types of food, but all end up being delicious and juicy, enjoyed by everyone – family and customers alike.

Making food look appealing is just as important for children as it is for adults. Looking and thinking about food is one of the first stages of digestion. If food looks attractive and fun children are far more likely to want to eat it. Giving individual portions helps make food more appetising and can make a meal appear less challenging. Mini versions of traditional meals i.e. shepherd’s pie, baked in small dishes are always popular. Allow children to assemble their own food. Lay out a variety of ingredients for your children to put together. This works very well with pizza’s and wraps. Fruit chopped into bite sizes and placed on a skewer or a straw is another helpful approach.

Offer your child food that packs lots of nutrition into small doses. This is particularly good for toddlers who are often as active as rabbits but seem to eat as little as mice.

Nutrient rich foods that are attractive to children include avocados, pasta, broccoli, peanut butter, brown rice, potatoes, cheese, chicken, eggs, fish, sweet potatoes and greek yogurt.

Menus

Chatting to your children about food is great but that alone does not provide any experience. You could tell your three year old that Spinach will give them muscles like Popeye and that carrots will help them see in the dark however you will be competing with TV ads which may tell a different story. With both sides telling different tales about what food they should choose to put in their body, who will your child believe?

Involving your child in the process of planning what you should eat is an important step in raising healthy grubbers and children that accept what is on the plate for breakfast, dinner and lunch.

Give them choice

Giving your child a choice between green beans or broccoli can make them feel good about putting that particular veg onto their plate. Children look to decide what they put in to their own body, and giving them choice over food options is a wonderful step in stopping the need for them to tell you “no” just for the sake of telling you so.

Exposure is half the battle

Giving your child food options before it lands on their plate will assist with mealtime mania. Surprises are not for everyone, and especially food surprises. As well as creating ownership over the meal and reducing disappointment from dinnertime, it also makes favourite dishes come with a level of anticipation…great for the digestive juices.

Start with a simple choice

Do they want green beans or broccoli with dinner? These small options will allow them choices between ingredients that do not change the overall meal, but will feel like a small bit of ownership over the dish.

Go shopping together

Point out the vegetables they can choose from. Do you think we should have red or green cabbage for dinner tomorrow? Moving the choice towards the shopping experience opens up the possibilities more for them and it’s a wonderful time to talk about food options.

Cooking method

Once your child gets a sense for how choosing side dishes are done, start asking how they would like it cooked. Do they want to steam the broccoli or cook it in a casserole?  This helps explore new ways that they might like food that they previously thought they didn’t and it can help them think about how food taste and texture change depending on how they are prepared.

Planning Menus

Planning with your child can be great fun and when you make it part of your weekly routine your child will look forward to doing it regularly. It helps to spark an interest in what they are eating.

Plan a colourful dinner. Children are drawn to bright colours. Luckily bright coloured fruits and vegetables are not only delicious, but nutritious. Get your child to think of meal ideas including as many brightly coloured fruits and vegetables as possible.

Pull out cookbooks with colourful pictures or go online and find recipe websites that have pictures with each recipe. Ask your child to pick a few recipes that looks good based on the picture. Children are more likely to try something new if they see a picture that look good to them. For the younger children, cut out pictures of all different type of foods and make a scrapbook of different menus.

When the meal is over, chat about what your child liked and disliked about the food so that their comments can be taken into consideration for the next meal they plan.

Get Cooking

Children are more likely to eat their own cooking/baking, so, where appropriate let your picky eater help prepare the food. It can be a fun affair, however patience in coping with the helping hands from small children will often determine how much you are able to tolerate. Cookie cutters can be used to create edible designs out of foods like cheese, bread, thin meat slices or cooked lasagne. Get your child to tear and wash lettuce, wash potatoes or stir batter. Put batter in a squeeze bottle and let your child watch as you squeeze the batter onto the pan in fun shapes, such as heart, numbers, letter or even your child’s name. They can also be involved in setting the table, whether that is laying out mats for under the plates or setting out cutlery or crockery. When children are part of the preparation they are more likely to feel part of the meal too.

Here are some tips to try out when cooking with your kids!

Dress your child up in chef’s clothes, hats and aprons and allow him to get stuck in.

Children have short attention spans so give them quick and easy jobs.  Keep the instructions simple.  Give age appropriate duties

When children get excited they may forget steps

Young children need constant supervision

Expect spills and messes and give children jobs to help clean up

Again give plenty of praise for all attempts at cooking.

Focus on hygiene and safety and lay ground rules. Teach children to tie hair back, roll sleeves up and remove jewellery.

It is never too late to start involving children in your family meals. You will be making memories and teaching lifelong healthy habits at the same time.

Mealtimes are one of the keystones of family life. Whenever possible get the whole family eating together. This can make a difference where fussy eaters are concerned.  Show your child that mealtimes can be fun and relaxing and not a source of anxiety. Take time to chat, rather than focusing on what is on the plates. Talk about the events of the day. This will help to take the pressure off children who may feel that what – and how much – they eat is being scrutinized.

When you have small children it is important to make an effort to be consistent in this respect and that structured mealtimes are in place. Ensure that they are not too close together as children may not be hungry or too far apart as children may be snacking or have low blood sugars affecting their behaviour.

Give your child an advance warning when a meal is coming up. “Supper is in ten minutes, please finish up your game and wash your hands. Do not expect them to drop what they are dong and run to the table immediately. Give them time to prepare themselves for the change in activity.

Keep food servings age appropriate. Wondering how much to offer? A young child’s stomach is approximately the size of his fist. So serve small portions at first and refill the plate if your child asks for more. The less is more meal plan is more successful with the fussy eaters.

The “bite-rule” worked with my kids. “Take one bite, two bites….” (However far you think you can force it without force feeding). The bite rule at least gets your child to taste a new food, while giving her some control over the feeding.

Rules which are good life skills also:

Children should wash their hands before they eat

They should sit at a table and not run off and eat elsewhere

No meals in front of T.V.  Turn telly off during meal times

Children should stay at the table until you tell them they can be excused.  Be realistic!!

Please and thank you are important words to learn

Mealtimes are not only about getting the right amount of food into your children at the right time, they are opportunities when families sit down together, share the day’s news and enjoy each other’s company.

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(Image Credit: Xiao Long Bao at Dim Sum USA)

While many Chinese steamed dumplings are solid inside, Xiao Long Bao (XLB) is unique in that it is filled with steaming hot broth instead. The bite-sized dumplings, introduced in China in the middle of the 19th century, are popular in their country of origin as well as numerous other countries around the world.

The broth inside contains aspic and chefs sometimes mix it with crab or ground pork. Servers at restaurants present XLB to diners in the same bamboo steamer that the chef used to prepare them.

As the popularity of XLB spreads, food industry entrepreneurs are scrambling to open new restaurants to capitalize on this trend. Below are just some of the many new or upcoming restaurants that will make XLB an integral part of their menus.

Drunken Dumplings

When it opened in September of 2016, a restaurant called Drunken Dumplings located in New York’s East Village was the first to offer the XL Xiao Long Bao. This supersized offering is like the Big Mac of American fast food. Rather than the bite-sized morsel of an appetizer that diners are accustomed to, the XL XLB is a mega dumpling served in a bowl. Although it has attracted huge interest, restaurant owner Yuan Lee has had to limit the creation and serving of this extra-large dish to just 25 per day due to the time and labor intensity it takes to create a single piece.

Paradise Dynasty to Open Restaurant in Los Angeles in Early 2019

Paradise Dynasty, a restaurant chain known for its XLB and other soup dumplings, plans to open its first restaurant in the United States early next year. The restaurant chain is famous for serving unique and colorful soup dumplings in eight different varieties.

However, its most famous dish is a dumpling featuring black truffles, foie grass, and dough with a black hue. Although it will be entering a popular restaurant market, the Los Angeles area is not yet saturated with eateries serving XLB and it many variations.

Paradise Dynasty looked to a mega restaurant chain called Din Tai Fung for its inspiration. Din Tai Fung currently operates 160 Chinese restaurants worldwide with 11 of them located in the United States. It also plans to infiltrate the West Coast of the United states with new restaurants planned for San Diego, California and Portland, Oregon.

A Restaurant Called XLB Serving Mainly XLB

In late 2017, former food blogger Jasper Shen opened the aptly-named XLB Restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Unlike many of his competitors who serve an Americanized version of popular Chinese dishes, Shen personally ensures that each item served by his restaurant is authentically Chinese. He does this so his relatives from China will approve of the food and because he remembers Americanizing the dishes when he worked in the Chinese restaurants of his uncles as a boy. His restaurant also offers several other authentic Chinese dishes including stir fries and mushrooms, black bean noodles and seafood, and steamed boas with pork or cabbage.

With more new authentic Chinese restaurants that serve XLB popping up all the time, it’s clear that the real winner is the American diner looking for a non-traditional experience.