Tonight, I was trying to decide if I would cook Asian food or if I wanted Italian. I really had a taste for both after seeing Eat, Pray, Love today.
I decided to do both and the combination of flavors was a huge change and actually quite good.
I BBQ chicken and brushed on hoisin BBQ sauce about 10 minutes before the chicken is ready to take off the grill.
Hoisin BBQ Sauce
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
3 tablespoons sake or dry sherry
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan and cook the garlic over moderately low heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sake, ketchup and rice vinegar and simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Let cool and brush on to BBQ chicken. Just before serving, I sprinkle on a dusting of sesame seeds.
For the pasta, I used the fresh ingredients that I got at the farmers market today – tiny, multi-colored tomatoes and shallots mixed with a little extra virgin olive oil, garlic and fresh shaved parmesan.
Bon Appetit!