Ikan Cakalang Pedas khas Manado (with Canned Tuna)

Ingredients:
1 can of tuna in water (about 150g), drained
2 large shallots, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 red chillies
2 or more red Thai chillies (optional)
1 tbs tomato sauce
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 cm ginger, peeled and bruised
1 tsp chicken stock powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
Juice from half of lime

• In a food processor combine shallots, garlic, chillies, tomato sauce. Puree all the ingredients until smooth.
• Preheat 2 tablespoon cooking oil over medium heat, add the puree ingredients, ginger and the kaffir lime leaves, cook until fragrant (about 8 minutes), stir frequently. 
• Turn the heat to medium high, add the fish, stir to combine and cook until the fish dry, flaky and slightly charred.
• Turn the heat down, add the chicken stock powder, taste and adjust the seasoning with sugar, salt and pepper. 
• Turn off the heat, pour the lime juice and stir to combine. Serve it with steamed rice.

Julia Child's French Onion Soup

Recipe adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Ingredients:

680g yellow onions

3 tbs unsalted butter

3 tbs all purpose flour

1 tbs olive oil

1/4 tsp granulated sugar

4 cups (2 litre) beef stock

2/3 cup dry white wine

3 tbs brandy

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Garnish:

2 cups of mixed Swiss cheese (Schweizer hartkäse) and parmesan

2 tbs butter, melted

French bread, cut into 1 cm thick squares, toasted*

• In a large saucepan melt butter and oil over medium low heat, add in the onions, toss to evenly coated, cover the pan and reduce to low heat. Let it cook for about 15 minutes.
• Uncover the pan, put the heat back to medium low, add sugar and salt, cook the onions for about 30 minutes or until they are evenly caramelized. 
• Sprinkle the flour over onions and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, add in the wine and then half of the stocks, stir and scrape the bottom of the pan, add the rest of the stocks, season it with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 35 minutes, skimming if needed. Stir in the brandy, cook for another 5 minutes and adjust seasoning.
• Preheat oven to 180 ˚C (350 ˚F), place few (about 6 or as desired) ovenproof soup bowls on a baking sheet. Pour the soup to each bowl about 3/4 full, take 1 cup of cheese and sprinkle evenly over each bowl of soup, place the croutons as desired, sprinkle each top with the rest of the cheese (1 cup). Bake for about 25 minutes (oberunter hitze) and additional 3 minutes on the broiler (ober hitze/ api atas) or until they are golden brown and bubbly.

*Toasted French bread (croutons)

Preheat oven to 175 ˚C, bake bread for about 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly brown and crisp. Remove from oven and drizzle the croutons with melted butter.