These are a Few of Her Favorite Things

OK, another confession: I'm only interested in cooking because it makes my girlfriend love me more. Yes, eating meat after decades of vegetarianism feels decadent and exciting, but I could go to a restaurant to do that. The reason I've been stalking the streets of Chinatown, roaming up and down the aisles of gourmet grocery stores, and becoming a real regular at certain kitchenware stores is the look on my lady's face when we sit down across a well-prepared dish that she requested specially or that I thought of all on my own. For A. and her family, food is love, and so I will simmer, stir, bake, broil, mix, roll out, knead, marinate, stir fry, boil, slow cook, deep fry, and more...whatever it takes to show how much I love her.

This is a dish that she found on the Kitchen Wench's blog, and which A. really likes. Here's the link: http://www.insanitytheory.net/kitchenwench/2007/07/04/from-mothers-loving-hands. Try it. It's a wonderful way to eat chicken. I have to say that party guests did not go nuts over this recipe, but I don't really give a damn about that, so long as you-know-who loves it. By the way, if you are going to try Kitchen Wench's recipe you will need a lot of kecap manis. You can get this sweet, thick soy sauce at an Indonesian grocery. In NYC I recommend the one at 81 Bayard St. between Mott and Mulberry in Chinatown. The owner was super-nice and helpful. I even found belachan there--but that is for another recipe on another day.

Here is something that guests at our housewarming parry really did like, however, a pumpkin custard. It's very easy. Custards are just cream, eggs and sugar in near equal amounts, and this one is flavored with pumpkin, which is one of A.'s favorite things.

3 C. half and half, warmed on the stove in a saucepan
1 big can of smashed up pumpkin
6 eggs
1/2 C. white sugar
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/3 C. molasses
a little salt
spices to flavor, like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ground cloves, etc.

Beat on high speed the eggs and all the ingredients below them on the list until smooth. Slowly add in the warm half-and-half, and then the canned pumpkin a bit at time.

Pour the custard into a 2-quart baking dish, and put that baking dish into a large pan with about an inch of water in it (like when you bake a cheesecake in a water bath). Bake it at 350 degrees for about an hour. I was working with a recipe that said 50 minutes, but that was bunk. it took at least 65 minutes to be done. You know it's done when you stick a knife in the middle and it comes out clean.