My own mother was an amazing cook who loved learning and entertaining; at least once a month my parents would have guests over and mom will go all out, from homemade cocktails to the most delicious paella to multi-course dinners with friends.
One would like to believe most professional and home cooks first influence is their mother or grandmother. However, this is not entirely true. I approached hospitality industry colleagues with the same question, and I was surprised to learn that their mothers weren’t as influential as I might have thought. I realized that it doesn’t matter how much cooking our mothers did, when we think of home were transported to family gatherings surrounded by food, familiar smells that can warm our hearts and make us feel as if we’re children for a brief moment.
Nick Wong, UB Preserv
In my quest to find out about family traditions, I approached chef Nick Wong, chef de cuisine at UB Preserv, who kindly shared a great memory of cooking with his mom.
“I don’t have a lot of memories of my mom in the kitchen. Both my parents worked a lot when I was growing up, so a lot of dinners tended to be in the quick and easy genre. I don’t have any of stories of following her around and tugging at her apron strings or anything. While my mom isn’t really big on cooking, she loves entertaining and throwing dinner parties. I might not have developed a knack for cooking from her, but the tendency toward taking care of people and making sure they have a good time has definitely been an influence on my career.
“One of the earliest cooking-related memories I do have of my mom and I doing something together in the kitchen was for a dinner party when I was about four or five years old. She gave me a very simple task of making tiny toothpick skewers of pineapple chunks and cocktail weenies. This was the late ‘80s, if you couldn’t tell. Even though I was pretty young, I have vivid memories of doing this with her, because it was a “big deal” that I got to do something for the party. Even today, the smoky salty snap of the Lil’ Smokies and the sweet tang of pineapple are very nostalgic for me.
“This past Christmas, I was able to spend the holidays with my family for the first time in awhile, and we ended up hosting a dinner party for close family friends. I was trying to think of something to do for hors-d’oeuvres, and it seemed like a fun way to start the night. I was just as excited to put fruit and tiny sausages on frilly toothpicks as I was to roast a whole prime rib.”
Recipe photo by Madeline Cabezut Herd
We all have that one dish we crave when we think of home, and for chef Nick this rice cooker Chinese sausage and chicken is “one of the quick-and-easy dishes my mom made when I was growing up, and a one-pot wonder.” Says Nick, “It’s only a few minutes of chopping things up and then just throwing it in a pot and walking away. It’s definite comfort food for me and if I’m ever in a pinch and just need something filling, I’ll make this dish for myself. Using a rice cooker for this recipe makes it super easy, but if you don’t have one, cooking rice in a regular pot also works.”
After hearing about his family tradition, I had to try the recipe for myself. I don’t have a rice cooker so I took the traditional route; here’s my take on Mom Wong’s dish.
Rice Cooker Chinese Sausage and Chicken
Ingredients
4 cups short grain rice
4 cups water
8 pc. dried shiitake mushrooms
2 pc. boneless chicken thighs
2 pc. Chinese sausage*
½ bunch scallions
½ bunch cilantro
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Method: Soak shiitakes in a bowl of boiling water for at least ten minutes. Try to keep them all submerged. If they start to float a bit, you can put a small plate on top of them to keep them underwater. Wash rice thoroughly, until the water runs mostly clear. Cut chicken thighs into ½” pieces. Slice Chinese sausage on a bias into ¼” coins. Take the shiitakes out of the water, and trim the stem off the bottoms. Julienne the mushrooms. Disperse the diced chicken, Chinese sausage, and shiitake mushrooms evenly over the surface of the rice. Add water, and start cooking the rice. While the rice is cooking, slice the scallions and roughly chop the cilantro, stems and all. When the rice is done, fluff the rice using a large spoon, and incorporate the scallions, cilantro, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Serve.
*If Chinese sausage is unavailable, you can choose to omit it, or add another piece of chicken. (Or sub out for Lil’ Smokies.)
– Madeline Cabezut Herd