Doreen Fang, a finalist on season six of The Next Food Network Star, will be doing a segment this Saturday, February 5, at 2 p.m. on “Into the Soup with Heidi Lee.”
This week we’ll be focusing on Chinese New Year and the interesting traditions and food that go along with it. Our special guests are George Yang (pronounced Yong) of George & Sons right here in Arizona, and Doreen Fang (pronounced Fong) an amazing Chef from California who competed on “The Next Food Network Star” and is an absolute stitch! We’re also joined by CenPho/Co+Hoot’s Tony Felice of Tony Felice PR and we’ll chat a bit about the ‘industry’ and image management for that next great restaurant!
The show airs from 2-3 p.m. (MST) and can be heard on KWSS 106.7 or streaming live at www.kwss.org.
In honor of the show, DPJ would like to share two recipes from her: one for Chinese New Year and one for Superbowl:
Sticky Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wings for Superbowl
Recipe courtesy of Doreen Fang. Serves four.
- 2 lbs chicken drumettes/wingettes
- 3 cloves garlic, microplane grated
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 Tbsp *Aloha Shoyu brand soy sauce
- 4 Tbsp hoisin
- 5 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp golden brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Sriracha chili sauce
- 1 tsp Ichimi togarashi (Japanese chili pepper)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 stalk green onions, cut on a bias for garnish
- Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Rinse and pat dry chicken and set aside in a ziplock bag. In a medium bowl, add all ingredients and combine well, except green onions and sesame seeds. Pour half of the sauce in the ziplock bag with the chicken, close and refrigerate for three hours. Pour the remaining half of the sauce into a small sauce pan and reduce till thickened over med/low heat. Be careful not to let it boil over. Lower heat if needed. Once thickened, set aside till ready to be used and reheat before you serve the chicken.
Preheat oven to 425º F. In a baking pan, lined with foil, lightly oil foil. Line up the chicken in a single layer.
Bake, turning the chicken once during the baking process. Bake for approximately 25-35 minutes depending on how big the drumettes/wingettes are. Remove chicken from oven and put wings into in large mixing bowl. Pour the hot sticky sauce over chicken, toss, plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve.
*Note: If you cannot find Aloha Shoyu and are using a high-sodium soy sauce, cut the amount of salt in half.
Pot Stickers for Chinese New Year
Recipe courtesy of Doreen Fang. Serves four.
- 3 packs potsticker wrappers
- 1 lb ground beef
- 4 cups Napa cabbage, finely diced (1 medium-sized head of cabbage)
- 3 tsp kosher salt
- 2 bunches green onions, finely diced
- ¼ cup sake
- 1 c + 2 Tbsp William Sonoma’s Sesame Ginger Soy Marinade
- ¼ cup Aloha brand shoyu (soy sauce)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp sugar, granulated
Preparing the filling
Set aside potsticker wrappers in refrigerator. To prepare the filling for your potstickers, julienne and finely dice the Napa cabbage, place in a large bowl, add 3 tsp of salt and mix thoroughly. Allow this to sit for five minutes, then gently squeeze the cabbage to remove excess water. Transfer the cabbage to another large bowl, add the ground beef and minced green onions, and combine thoroughly with remaining ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for approximately 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to assemble the potstickers.
Making the potstickers
Fold a wet paper towel on a plate and place a wrapper on the towel to moisten the skin. Put the wrapper in your hand dry side down, place 1 teaspoon of the potsticker filling in the center. Bring both sides up to form a half moon and use your index finger and thumb to seal the center border only. Create two pleats along each side , the complete by sealing the border tightly.
Cooking
In a medium nonstick pan, heat 2 Tbs of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Place potstickers side-by-side in a circular-pattern, filling the pan from the edge to the center. Add enough water to cover about ¾ the height of the potstickers. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium. Cook until the water is completely evaporated and the bottom of the potstickers are a golden brown. Plate and serve with accompanying dipping sauce.
Potsicker Garlic Cilantro Dipping Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Doreen Fang
- 1/3 cup green onions, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, grated with a microplane
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup Aloha shoyu (soy sauce)
- 1-1/2 tsp Sesame seed oil
- 4-5 Tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Sriracha
To prepare the garlic cilantro dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix thoroughly, cover and allow the sauce to sit for about 10-15 minutes. Transfer to individual dipping cups for serving.
Recipe makes approximately 90-100 potstickers (can be made ahead, keep frozen until you are ready to cook them).
About Doreen
Doreen Fang was born and raised in Southern California, with the exception of a year in Minnesota and four years in Las Vegas. Doreen’s parents emigrated from China by way of Taiwan and finally settled in Southern California. Growing up in a Chinese home meant a lot of Chinese food. Her love for food and constantly helping her mother in the kitchen was a big influence in the development of Doreen’s love for cooking. It was Doreen’s adventurous and independent nature that really catapulted her into the kitchen to start cooking non-Chinese foods.
Doreen is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco (1996) with a specialty in California cuisine. While in culinary school, she and her business partner, Anna Johnson, started a successful boutique catering business, Apropos Culinary Artistry, in the San Francisco Bay area.
One of Doreen’s accomplishments was to become a finalist on season six of The Next Food Network Star. Her bright and charming personality won the hearts of the casting directors at the Food Network. Her time on the show has won many hearts across the country.
Doreen is currently pursuing a career in television where she will host her own show highlighting food, traveling and people. A preview of this can be seen by following Doreen’s blog at diningwithdoreen.com. In addition, Doreen is relocating her catering business to the Los Angeles area with Johnson. The pair are currently working on a cookbook as well as the possibly opening a restaurant in Southern California.
Doreen’s mission in life is to explore and learn about new countries, cuisines, cultures, and people. It is her goal to integrate her love for food and people into one show. “Food is the common thread that binds all human beings together” said Doreen, and through her incredible ability to connect with people on all levels, she has a way of reaching others through their hearts and stomachs!
