Girl Meets Farm (2018–…): Season 0, Episode 0 - Girl Meets Farm - full transcript

My dad's in town
playing a concert

at the north dakota museum
of art,

and I'm making
an asian-inspired lunch

to pump up
his performance.

My sugar-coated pork buns
are crispy

on the outside and tender
on the inside.

These are some
good-looking buns!

Perfect with a side of saucy
drunken cucumber noodles.

Then who wants flowers when
you can have my chewy matcha

mochi doughnuts
after the show.

This meal is going to be
music for your mouth.



Oh, yah!
Holy cow!

Hey, this is me, molly yeh.

This is my husband, nick.

This is our new addition,
and this is our home,

our farm on the north dakota,
minnesota border,

the place where I eat,
sleep, and breathe food.

Hello little dumplings!

My food is a delicious mix
of my chinese

and jewish heritage
and a taste of the midwest.

I'm doubly excited today,
because one, my dad's

in grand forks,
and two, he's playing

a concert at the local
art museum,

so I'm making us a flavor-filled
lunch to enjoy

before the recital.



And if I know my dad,
he is going to want

to eat every single one of
my sugar-coated pork buns.

They are the ultimate
combination of sweet

and savory.

I make a marinated
pork filling,

stuff it into pillowy soft
buns, and then cover them

with a crunchy sugar topping --
to get started,

I'll make my marinade.

I'm gonna combine 1/3 of a cup
each of soy sauce, rice wine,

hoisin, and honey.

And this marinade is gonna add
so much flavor into that pork.

Rice wine, which adds
a bright pop of acidity.

Hoisin sauce, which adds, like,

a dark, sweet caramel-y flavor.

And honey for extra sweetness.

I really enjoy how sweet
and sticky this filling gets.

Two tablespoons of toasted
sesame oil,

which adds the most amazing
toasty nuttiness.

A teaspoon and 1/2 of chinese
five spice powder,

which has star anise,
cinnamon,

fennel seeds, sichuan
peppercorns, and cloves.

I'll grate in some ginger.

Okay.

And lastly,
I'll smash six cloves of garlic

and add them in.

I'll just use the blunt end
of my knife to do that.

Let's get smashed!
We're going to a concert.

It's a rager.

I'll whisk this
to combine.

all right,
now I'll add the pork.

I have 2 and 1/2 pounds
of pork shoulder here.

It's boneless, and it's been
cut into one-inch slices,

and that's gonna help that
marinade get all up in there.

I'll coat it on both sides
and zhuzh it around.

this is smelling insane.

So these pork buns
are inspired by

pork buns that my dad
and I had

when we were in hong kong.

It was right after I graduated
college, and we were there

playing with the orchestra,
and by far,

the most memorable bite of
that trip were

these sugar-coated pork buns

that were
a total revelation.

So I know that my dad is gonna
freak out over these.

I'll cover this up
and let it marinate

in the fridge
for a few hours.

Then I'll toast it
at 350 degrees for 50 minutes

until it's lightly
caramelized on all sides.

And while the pork
is cooking,

I'm gonna thicken up
the marinade and turn it into

a saucy element
for the filling.

I've got some corn starch,

which will help
the mixture thicken,

and I'm gonna pour most of
the marinade into my pan.

And I'll bring it
to a simmer,

and then, with the reserved
marinade, I'm gonna add

two teaspoons of corn starch
and whisk it to combine,

and this is gonna create
a slurry, which just helps

the corn starch incorporate
smoothly and evenly.

and I'll cook this,
stirring until it thickens,

almost the consistency
of a gravy.

Oh, yeah, this is nice
and thick.

When the pork is done,
I'm gonna toss it

in this and make it
extra flavorful.

I'll remove this from the heat
and allow it to cool.

And in the meantime,
I'm gonna work on my buns.

this bun dough is so soft
and slightly sweet.

It is pillowy perfection wrapped
around the pork filling.

To get started,
I'm gonna activate my yeast.

I'll sprinkle one packet
right into some warm water.

And yeast feasts on sugar,
so I'm gonna add

a pinch of sugar, too,
to help it along.

I'll give this a swirl, and then
I'm gonna allow it to sit until

it gets foamy on top,
and in the meantime,

I'll mix up
my dry ingredients.

In my mixer bowl here,

I'm gonna add one cup
of cake flour

and then 1/4 cup of sugar.

One and 3/4 of a cup of
all-purpose flour.

And if you don't have
cake flour,

you can just use all
all-purpose flour.

And one teaspoon of
kosher salt.

I'll stir this to combine.

and now I'll stir up
my wet ingredients.

My yeast is looking foamy
and happy.

I'm gonna add one
large egg to this.

This will add some richness.

Half a cup of whole milk,

which will help make
the dough tender.

And three tablespoons of
neutral oil,

which will add that moistness
to the dough.

I'll whisk to combine.

Okay, the wet ingredients
are combined.

I'll add them to
the dry ingredients.

and I'll let this go until
it starts to form a ball.

This dough is looking great.

It's smooth and still
a little sticky,

which is exactly what I want.

I love hearing my dad play.

He's such a great clarinetist.

He's who inspired me to become
a musician in the first place.

He would go to
all my concerts,

so I can't wait to go to
his concert later today.

I'm stretching the dough
into a ball.

I want it to have a nice,
taut surface so that it

rises evenly.

I'll grab a clean bowl.

I'll drizzle it with some oil
so that the dough

doesn't stick.

I'll put the dough
in top down,

smush it around,
and then turn it back over

so that it's coated completely
with the oil.

I'll cover it in plastic,

and let it rise until
it's doubled in size.

I cannot wait to put
these buns together.

They are already
rocking my world,

just like how my dad's gonna
rock grand forks!

Coming up, I'm wrapping up
these pork buns

and finishing them
with a crunchy,

sugary coating that will bring
them right over the top.

Then I'm whipping up some

vibrant drunken cucumber
noodles for lunch.

I'll put together some
delightfully chewy doughnuts

with the matcha twist,

and then we're heading out to
see my dad bring down the house

at the local art museum.

My dad's in town
to play a concert,

and I'm whipping up
my sugar-coated pork buns.

I've already made the dough,
and it's doubled in size,

and here I've got my pork
that has cooked beautifully

in its sweet
and salty marinade.

I'll add it to my marinade
that has cool than thickened,

and that'll make it
extra saucy.

Now I'll fold it together
with the marinade to make sure

each piece is coated
in that goodness.

Looks great.
I'll grab my bun dough now.

My dough has risen.

It's all puffy and happy,

and now I'll turn it out
onto my surface.

Oh, it's so soft and fluffy.

I'll divide my dough
into nine equal pieces.

And I'll take a piece of dough
and roll it out into

a circle that's about five
inches wide or 1/4-inch thick,

and I'll scoop a pile of
filling right into the center.

Now I'll gather the edges

and pinch them shut
to seal to lock

all that goodness in.

Just like that, so cute.

I'll continue on shaping these
now, and while they rest,

I'll make the crunchy
sugar topping.

To get started, I'll combine 2/3
of a cup of all-purpose flour

and 2/3 of a cup of
powdered sugar

into my food processor,

1/2 teaspoon
of baking powder,

and 1/4 teaspoon
of kosher salt.

I'll pulse to combine.

And add six tablespoons of
softened unsalted butter,

and I'll pulse this
until it's crumbly.

I'll add an egg
and blend this into a paste.

Butter and sugar --

what could be better
on pork buns?

I'm gonna grab a piping bag
and my buns.

These are some
good-looking buns.

Okay, now the easiest way
to top these with the paste

is to put it
into a piping bag.

So I have a piping bag
fitted with

a round tip, and it's standing
up in my measuring cup.

I'll fold the sides up,

and starting in the center
of a bun,

I'm gonna pipe on
a swirly shape...

Like that --
no fun at all.

These are ready
for the oven now.

I'll bake them at 350
for about 20 minutes

until they're golden brown.

This is gonna be the best
my buns have ever looked.

whenever my dad's in town,

I love to cook asian food,
because it's his favorite.

So for a saucy side
to our lunch,

I'm making
my drunken cucumber noodles,

which are a vegetable-centric
version of the classic thai dish

that's dark and caramel-y
and loaded with fresh crunch.

To get started,
I'm spiralizing a cucumber.

I'm turning it into noodles,

and you can get one of these
contraptions online,

or you can slice a cucumber
into thin coins.

Look at this big old pile
of noodles!

I'll get these into my bowl,
and into my pan,

I'll add a drizzle of oil,

and I'll add my onions
and pepper.

I have one chopped
onion here

and a chopped
orange pepper.

I'll stir these around and
let them cook until the onions

are translucent.

It's already starting
to smell good.

Next, I'll add my garlic.

I'll add 1/2 pound of ground
chicken right to the pan,

and then I'll cook it,

breaking it up with a spoon
so that I can

be bite-size pieces
and get brown all over.

While this continues
to cook,

I'll make my drunken sauce.

This sauce is sweet
and a little funky,

and it has a slight touch
of heat.

It has it all.

Start with two tablespoons
of soy sauce

and whisk it with 1/2 teaspoon
of corn starch

to thicken it up,

two tablespoons
of hoisin sauce,

and a tablespoon of fish sauce
for a savory touch,

a tablespoon of chili paste
for a little heat,

and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons
of sesame oil.

I'll whisk this together,

and I can hear my pan
singing over there.

I'm gonna dump this right in.

I'll stir this all together
to coat the chicken

and the veggies.

And I'll grab my tomatoes
and scallion.

These tomatoes will add
their signature burstiness,

and then I'll slice up
my scallion.

And I'll add this,
as well.

This dish has a lot of
personality, just like my dad,

and it really comes out
when he performs.

This is looking great.

I'm gonna add it
to my cucumber noodles.

I'll toss this all together.

Oh, yeah -- look at all
these bright colors!

It's so vibrant.

Mmm.

Let me grab
my serving bowl

and a lime, and I'll put it
all together.

I'll finish this with some
lime juice and fresh basil.

The lime will add
great brightness.

And some fresh basil,
which will be really tasty.

And that's it!
Let me taste.

Mm!

So flavorful with a nice
crunch from the cucumbers.

This is gonna be the perfect
contrast to the buns.

Next, my pork buns
will be ready right in time

for my dad
to arrive for lunch.

Then I've got a festive treat
for all of us

to enjoy after his show --
my matcha mochi doughnuts.

Oh, yeah.
These look perfect!

They're golden, and that
sugary coating is

gonna be so crispy
and sweet.

-hello! Welcome!
-Hello!

-Thank you.
-Hope you're hungry.

I sure am.

Oh, there's a long one.

Look at that.

-Long noodles, long life.
-Uh-oh.

-Oh, my gosh.
-Oh, man, you're gonna live

real long.
-You're gonna live

a really long time.

oh, my gosh.

-Still steamy on the inside.
-This is so tasty

and crunchy on the top.
-Mm-hmm.

-Sweet.
-Mm-hmm.

I'm so excited
for the concert!

It's gonna be great.

-Yeah.
-We're pumped.

It's gonna be a real party.

mm!

For a special gift to my dad

after what I know is gonna be
a killer musical delight,

I am debuting my matcha
mochi doughnuts.

They're super chewy
with great green tea flavor.

To get started, I have three
tablespoons of unsalted butter

melting, and I'm gonna turn off
the heat and let this cool

briefly while
I make my starter.

I'm gonna make a starter,
which is gonna help the dough

come together,

and that's just 1/4 cup
of glutinous rice flour

mixed with three
tablespoons of milk.

And glutinous rice flour is
found at asian grocery stores

or specialty grocery stores,

or, of course, online.

And I love it,
because it's going to make

these doughnuts have
that satisfying,

chewy texture that is
the hallmark of mochi.

I'll mix this together,
and I'll heat it

for a few minutes until
it's thick and sticky.

Mochi is a sweet, sticky dough
that's made of rice flour,

and sometimes it's filled
with ice cream.

Other times it's fried,
and it's delicious in all forms.

Once this starter
starts to thicken up,

it thickens up really quickly.

And then it forms
this blob of dough.

I'm gonna let this cool
briefly while I mix up

my remaining dry ingredients.

I'll get two more cups
of rice flour,

I'll add 1/3 of a cup
of sugar.

Next, I'll grab
my matcha powder.

Matcha is very finely ground

green tea leaves -- it has
this beautiful, natural,

earthy green color
and the flavor of green tea.

I'm gonna add one tablespoon.

I'll add two teaspoons
of baking powder,

1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Now I'll mix
to combine.

mm! Got a whiff of

that earthy green tea-ness.

Okay, this is combined --
now I'm gonna mix up

my wet ingredients -- I'll get
half a cup of whole milk,

and this has been coming
to room temperature.

I don't want it to be too cold
and firm up that melted butter.

I'll grab one egg.

I'll add in my melted butter.

And then a teaspoon of
vanilla will go

really nicely with
the matcha flavor.

I'll whisk this to combine.

I'm getting so excited
for the concert.

Okay, with my mixer on low,

I'll drizzle in
the wet ingredients.

Look at that color!

Oh, I love it.

I'm gonna grab my starter.

I'll plop this right in.

I'm gonna mix this on high.

the starter's all mixed in --
the dough is still really

sticky, though,
which is what I want.

So I'm gonna dust my surface
with a lot of rice flour.

Working with this dough
is a lot about feeling.

I'll use my hands to bring
the dough together,

kneading in as much flour as
I need to in order for it to

become smooth and not
too sticky to work with.

Next, I'm gonna roll out
my dough

until it's about
half an inch thick.

I'll grab a piece
of parchment paper,

and I have my cookie cutter,

which is a round
1-and-1/4-inch cutter,

and I'm gonna cut out
six little circles.

I'll place this
onto my parchment square.

I'll cut out
five more circles.

I'll form my circles
into a ring,

and I'll give this
a little hug so that

they stick together.

And it looks just like that --
how cute!

I'm gonna keep on
stamping out my circles,

and then I'll be
ready to fry.

My dad is gonna get
a kick out of these.

Still to come,

I'm frying up these doughnuts
and smothering them

in a thick and creamy
matcha glaze.

So cute!

Then we're off
to catch my dad

blow the roof off at
the local museum, and I can't

wait to see his face when
he bites into these doughnuts.

Oh, my gosh!
Ah!

It's almost time to head
to my dad's concert.

I can't wait
to hear him play.

I just have to finish up
my matcha mochi doughnuts.

They're stamped
and formed into rings.

They're looking extra cute,

but they're gonna look even
cuter when they fry

and puff up in the balls.

I have some neutral oil
heating in my pot to

340 degrees.

And to make sure that
the little balls stay together,

I'm actually gonna put them
into the fryer

on the parchment paper.

I'll fry these in batches
that I don't crowd the pan,

otherwise, the temperature of
the oil could drop,

and that makes
a greasy doughnut.

And I'll use tongs now
to slip

that parchment paper out
from under the doughnuts.

And once they're brown
on one side,

I can gently flip them over
and fry on the other side.

They look like flowers, because
flowers, congratulations,

post-concert merriment.

I planned this all along.

And you know
they're ready when

they're golden
on the other side, too.

I'll transfer this
to my wire rack

so that any excess oil
can drip off.

I'm gonna continue frying
in batches.

To decorate, my doughnuts
are fully cooled.

I'll take one,
and I'm gonna

dunk it into the glaze
about halfway.

And this is just
powdered sugar

and matcha whisked together
with milk and lemon juice.

I'll let any excess glaze
drip off.

And before the glaze sets,
I'm gonna add sprinkles.

It's a special occasion!

So cute.

Talk about a masterpiece.

Now it's time
to decorate the rest.

I love these!

How good do they look?
Okay.

I have to make sure
they're top notch for my dad,

so I'm gonna taste one.

Mm!

It's so chewy and sweet,

and I love
that green tea flavor.

Who needs flowers
when you have doughnuts?

Okay, I'm gonna box these up
for my dad's show,

and then I'll be ready
to go.

yay!

-hey!
-Bravo!

Amazing.

-Thank you.
-That was so great.

I think you guys
earned doughnuts.

I think so, too.

Oh, my go...
look at that!

Help yourselves --
there's enough for everybody.

Oh, my gosh,
I can't wait.

Mm...Mm!

-Bravo, you guys.
-Brava!

These are amazing.