FIFA party--challenging KFC fried chicken

No one thinks fried chicken is healthy, but it's just so great, for some people, it's something they have to eat regularly. You can never imagine how awesome KFC is in China, it's something we miss back at home.
It's so hard for me to make it without a deep fry thermometer, well we eventually made it , left a house of smoke...

This is buttermilked fried chicken. Buttermilk makes wonderful battery by those magical chemical reactions. Everything sounds more tempting after put ' buttermilked' before it: buttermilked pancake, buttermilked waffle, buttermilked onion ring... buttermilked fried chicken
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttermilk

I have read /watched bout buttermilked fried many times, theoretically:
1.Brine: soaked the chicken in season buttermilk overnight: 2cup buttermilk with 2Tbs kosher salt( 1Tbs table salt)
2. pat chicken dry: chicken +seasoned flour +buttermilk+seasoned flour: press to let more flour stick on the chicken
3.let chicken sit 0.5-1hr before deep fried
4. 375F
Besides those, we also put chicken in 425F oven to 'raise-up' the skin
A lot of effort and smoke,  not too bad as a firstime work . But after we checked out KFC product, got to know:
1. more salt rate in brine, (KFC is a little bit salty for me though), I will adjust to 1.5 Tbs salt with 2cup buttermilk
2.more layers, at least three to achieve the crispiness.
well, ours couldn't be counted as 'crispy' but ok to be as 'original' ones, I guess.

I am just so not good at fried food, my onion rings failed 3rd times, things getting frustrating, but other food seemed very welcomed.

Cheese puffy:
it's made from "pâte a choux doug", like make roux first(cooked), then add egg and other stuffs( usually cheese here) , then bake or deep fried.
more information: http://blog.ruhlman.com/2009/01/pate-a-choux.html
If baked, high temperature to form the shape, then medium to bake inside

buttermiked fried chicken with cheese puffy

Baked almond  crusted goat cheese, strawberries with fig +blueberry balsamic syrup

Everything in this salad is cooperated perfectly, baked goat cheese is pretty simple, as you bake crusted fish or chicken, layers are: cheese+flour+washed eggs+almond, 350F baked about 10min, check them frequently. The dressing is I mixed my secrete fig balsamic syrup with blueberry syrup( which made in Acadia :P

cucumber with beet hummus  , goat cheese, mint/basil

Beets hummus : I like beets, impressed by its stunning color( like red velvet cake, color is really something important in food). It is just to replace chickpea with baked beets in hummus,recipe from simply recipe:

• 1/2 pound beets (about 4 medium sized beets), scrubbed clean, cooked, peeled, and cubed*
• 2 Tbsp tahini sesame seed paste
• 5 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, chopped
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest (zest from approx. 2 lemons)
• Generous pinch of sea salt or Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

this is the family bucket we got on the same day for a night snack.... It's a long long way to go to make perfect fried chicken~~~~

made in KFC

I just want to be better , but not perfect--Quick Beef Jerky(Fruit and Ginger Flavor)[Assignment]

Sometimes, you have to spend a lot of time to figure out a problem, but some other people are just able to have it done much quickly. It is definitely frustrating. But it looks like I am not as upset as I was when it happens, it's not I don't want to fight any more, but I get to realize I am not perfect, so I think I just want to be better, which already can make me cheerful.

So, now when I hear the complements like ' you are doing (MUCH) better...', I will smile and  know I can still grow, to be the 'perfect' gaogao in your imagination.

This is a quick beef jerky, by using deli rost beef. Usually, I make beef jerky from beef shoulder chuck, boil it first, then cut into the cube or sliced it whatever you want. Boil /marinade  it  in the teriyaki or spicy sauce. Bake them to the texture you want.

Trader joe's deli roast beef is a good deal but very bland, well, it is not a very thin , but thin enough for beef jerky. And it turns out very alike the real beef jerky in stores.

Remember the beef skewers in some bar with some secrete sweet flavor, I thought about it afterwards and got to know marinad is made from fruit juice/preserve(apricot, or pear) as well as ginger. So I call this as an [Assignment] , since I wanted to make it come true here.

1. Saute onion and garlic

2. Add a kind of juice( I used the leftover apple cider reductions), julienne ginger, soy sauce/teriyaki sauce, aslso some red wine if you like

3.Add deli roast beef

4. Boil to reduce the water, until water is gone.

5.400F, Bake them until dried to be like a jerky, turn in the middle

Fruit juice and ginger, that is the secrete, got it?

1st secrete ingredient is always

affection and love,

so I appreciate every chef that cook with care
 to bring us the wonder food