THE Dish: Susan Feniger's Malaysian Black Pepper Clams

(CBS News) NEW YORK -- Chef Susan Feniger is a culinary pioneer who helped set the table for other women so they could break the glass ceiling in the kitchen - just as she did.

Susan and her cooking partner and collaborator, Mary Sue Milliken, spiced up the L.A. culinary scene, focusing on Latin cuisine in their first Border Grill restaurant in 1985, and now co-own and are co-head chefs of the Border Grill Restaurants & Truck chain.

In 2009, Susan launched her first solo venture, Susan Feniger's Street, which has become a big L.A. success story. It pays homage to international street food.

An award-winning chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and radio/TV personality, Susan co-hosted the popular Food Network show "Too Hot Tamales" with Mary Sue. It had a run of more than 400 episodes after its 1995 debut. The show helped set the stage for other female chefs to step in to the spotlight.

Both took part in Bravo's "Top Chef Masters," though in different seasons.

In 1988, Susan and Mary Sue became the first women to receive the California Restaurant Writer's prestigious Chef of the Year Award.

They're widely considered two of the leading authorities on Latin cuisine in the U.S.

Susan stopped by "CBS This Morning: Saturday" to share recipes for her ultimate dish, Malaysian Black Pepper Clams.

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RECIPES

Malaysian Black Pepper Clams

Serves 4

When I was in Singapore, I got a hot tip from a hotel concierge about a great local restaurant, after much arm-twisting to not send me to a tourist spot. It turned out that her grandfather owned a popular Malaysian diner that was off the beaten path and outside the city. Though there wasn't a lot of English spoken there, as always, the love of food was the understood language. That day, I tasted lots of traditional Malaysian dishes, including this one, which they made with crab instead of clams. However, the sweetness of clams with this sauce is an undeniably fantastic combination. A big bowl of these clams, the broth, some crusty bread for dipping and a salad make the perfect meal with very little mess to clean up afterwards. Whenever we rotate the menu at street, we try to take this recipe off and it practically causes a riot.

• 2-1/2 pounds Manila clams
• 1/4 cup grated coconut palm sugar or packed dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• Juice of 1-1/2 limes
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick)
• unsalted butter
• 10 fresh mint leaves
• 1/2cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves (see page 109) or regular basil leaves
• Sourdough bread, sliced
• 1 inch thick and toasted, for serving (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil, for serving (optional)
• Lime wedges, for serving

1. Put the clams in a large bowl and rinse them under cold running water for 5 to 10 minutes to purge them of all sand and grit. Drain.

2. In a small bowl, combine the coconut palm sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice.

3. Heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan or skillet set over high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, to release the flavors, but do not let the garlic brown. Add the black pepper and the clams. Add 1/3 cup water, cover immediately, and steam the clams for 3 to 4 minutes or until they open. Remove any that do not open. Add the oyster sauce mixture and stir well. Add the butter, stir well, and pour the clams into a large bowl.

4. Sprinkle the mint, cilantro, and Thai basil over the clams. Serve with the toasted bread, brushed with the olive oil, if desired, and wedges of fresh lime.

FOR MORE OF SUSAN'S RECIPES, GO TO PAGE 2.

Artichokes with Lemon Za'atar Dipping Sauce

Serves 6

• 3 large artichokes, cleaned (see instructions below)
• Cold water as needed
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 2 Tablespoons kosher salt, or as desired
• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1-1/4 cups Lemon Za'atar Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

To clean the artichokes, first cut off the bottom portion of the stem, leaving only 1 inch of the stem at the bottom.

Using a sharp knife (sometimes serrated knives work best for this task), cut off the top "tip" of the artichoke, approximately 2 inches down, straight across the top.

Using scissors, clip off the sharp spike of the remaining leaves. Repeat until all of the artichokes are cleaned.

Place the artichokes in a large pot with enough water to come three quarters of the way up the artichokes.

Squeeze the lemon quarters into the water and then throw the remaining shell of the lemon in as well.

Add the salt and olive oil into the water.

Cook on high heat, covered, until water comes to a boil (approximately 15 minutes), then reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes longer. To test: a gentle tug should pull off the lower leaves easily but there should still be resistance and the whole thing should pull out in one piece, not fall apart.

Turn off the heat. Remove each artichoke and place upside down on a plate to drain and let them cool to room temperature (approximately 15 to 20 minutes).

Discard the cooking liquid and all its ingredients.

Once cool, cut each artichoke in half.

With a spoon, gently scoop out and discard the fuzzy inner "choke" and the pointy purple leaves that line the inside.

Cut each half in half again, creating small portions that are more easily shared.

Place on a platter and serve with the Lemon Za'atar Dipping Sauce.

Lemon Za'atar Dipping Sauce

Makes 1-1/4 cups

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• Juice of 1 lemon (approximately 1/4 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup sesame seed, toasted
• 3 Tablespoons dried thyme

In a small mixing bowl, place all of the ingredients.

Stir well with a rubber spatula or spoon to combine.

Brussels Sprouts With Goat Cheese, Apples, and Hazelnuts

Serves 4

Brussels sprouts are the perfect vegetable to use with a variety of other flavors. Their hearty quality pairs well with and stands up to other strong tastes. Here, I've combined them with the sweetness of apple and the richness of goat cheese. Even people who say they hate Brussels sprouts love this dish! The trick with Brussels sprouts is not to overcook them. I like to caramelize them a bit to bring out their natural sweetness but keep the texture firm.

• 1/2 cup hazelnuts
• 1-1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1-1/4 pounds Brussels sprouts, thinly shaved on a mandoline or with a knife (6 cups)
• 2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored and diced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 ounces soft goat cheese, broken into small pieces
• Juice of 1 lemon

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2 Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking sheet and toast them for 5 to 10 minutes, until they are roasted and slightly browned. Pour onto a clean dish towel. Fold the dish towel over the hazelnuts and roll them around lightly to remove the skins. Discard the skins and then chop the hazelnuts.

3 In a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the Brussels sprouts, apples, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the Brussels sprouts are slightly browned on the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the hazelnuts, goat cheese, and lemon juice. Toss together and remove from the heat. Serve immediately.

FOR MORE OF SUSAN'S RECIPES, GO TO PAGE 3.

Black Kale Crostini with White Beans and Spanish Anchovies

Serves 12

Years ago, Mary Sue Milliken (my partner at the Border Grill restaurants) and I started working with the Veterans Hospital in Westwood, Calif., to help develop their horticulture therapy program. We did it partly to help the veterans and partly so that we could get our hands on all sorts of hard-to-find exotic vegetables. The vets grew fantastic produce for us: mizuna, mum greens, sweet potato greens, black mustard seed sprouts, black kale -- anything we asked for! They learned how to plant, nurture, pick, sell, and deliver their product, and we were the lucky recipients. When I traveled to Spain, I was finally able to taste the fresh and inventive tapas that the country is so famous for. This combination of a bean paste and anchovies, often with olives, is used in many of the tapas served there. And quite often, the patrons stand while balancing their plates on top of their beer glasses!

BEANS

• 2 cups dried white beans, or 1 (14-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1-1/2 cups chopped red onion
• 1 red jalapeño pepper, stemmed and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt croutons
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 12 white anchovy fillets (sometimes called "boquerones" or "Spanish anchovies"), chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 small loaf olive bread, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices

KALE

• 2 bunches black kale (sometimes called "lacinato" or "Italian" kale)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Juice of 1 lemon

1. To prepare the dried beans, put the beans and 10 cups cold water in a small stockpot. Remove any stones or irregular pieces that may float to the top. Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 1 hour, until the beans are cooked through. Turn off the heat and strain the beans in a colander, reserving the cooking liquid.

2. If you cooked dried beans, wash out the pot and return it to the stove; if you are using canned beans, place a large saucepan on the stove. Set the pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, and sauté the onion in the oil until it is a deep caramel color, about 5 minutes. Add the jalapeño and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to release the flavor. Add the beans (dried or canned), salt, and 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid (or 2 cups water if using canned beans). Stir, then simmer for 10 minutes. Puree until smooth with an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender.

3. To make the anchovy croutons, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

4. In a small bowl, combine the butter, anchovies, and salt. Mix well with a spoon until all of the ingredients are combined. Spread the mixture on one side of each slice of bread, and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

5. Bake, turning the baking sheet occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the croutons are crispy and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

6. To prepare the kale, first remove the large stems. Then cut the leaves crosswise into thin strips. Wash them well in cold water to remove any excess dirt. Drain.

7. In a large sauté pan set over medium-low heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until it becomes fragrant but does not color. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the kale and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally so that the kale and garlic do not burn, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the kale is soft but not mushy. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the lemon juice. Stir well, and pour the kale onto a platter or bowl.

8. To assemble the crostini, take a slice of anchovy toast, spread it with a generous amount of the pureed white beans, and top with the sautéed kale. Set on a platter and repeat with the remaining toasts. Serve while still warm or at room tempera

Green Sriracha Sauce

I think this is the sauce that you'll always want to have in your fridge. A mildly spicy, almost fruity, herbal fresh condiment, it is fantastic on a piece of grilled fish, on roasted chicken, and on sautéed mushrooms. It's also great as a garnish for a rich soup, on top of mashed avocados with feta cheese, or as a dip for crudités. This Sriracha sauce is different from the typical red sauce you see in squeeze bottles in every Asian restaurant. I still use chiles, but I use poblanos, which give the sauce a rich, gentle heat.

Makes 4 cups

• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
• 2 serrano chiles, stems removed, sliced (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 (3-inch) piece young ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 1/2-inch) piece fresh turmeric, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and stems roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• Leaves from 1 bunch fresh Thai basil or regular basil (about 2 cups)
• Leaves from 1 bunch fresh mint (about 1 cup)
• 1 bunch fresh chives, roughly chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
• 4 fresh kaffir lime leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon finely minced
• inner stalks of lemongrass
• 1 cup canola oil
• Juice of 3 to 4 limes (about 1/2 cup)
• 2-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1. Put roughly a third of the coconut, chiles, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cilantro, Thai basil, mint, chives, lime leaves, and lemongrass in a blender. Add all of the oil,  1/2 cup of cold water, the lime juice, and the salt. Puree until smooth. (You may need to pulse the blender at first so the ingredients don't catch in the blender blades.)

2. Depending on the size of your blender, you may be able to continue adding ingredients to the pureed sauce until all of the ingredients are used. If you need more space, pour half of the pureed sauce into a bowl and continue blending the remaining ingredients in batches, always using a little bit of the original sauce to start with.

3. When all of the ingredients are blended smoothly, pour the sauce into a medium bowl and stir well. The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Angry Eggs

• 1 dozen medium boiled eggs
• 4 Tbl mayonnaise
• 1 Tbl Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbl spicy red Sriracha sauce (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• Green Sriracha (see following recipe)

Cut each of the eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and place in a small mixing bowl. Set the whites aside. Add the mayonnaise, Dijon, Red Sriracha, and salt to the yolks and mash with a fork while combining the ingredients. Stuff the spiced yolk mixture back inside the egg whites. Top with a small dollop of green Sriracha.

Green Sriracha Sauce

Makes 4 cups

• 3 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro (leaves and stems), washed and roughly chopped (approximately 3 ounces)
• 1 bunch Thai basil, leaves only (approximately 2 cups)
• 1 bunch mint, leaves only (approximately 1 cup)
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch chives, roughly chopped (approximately 1-1/2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine minced lemongrass, inner stalks only
• 2 serrano chiles, stems removed, sliced (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 cup shredded, dried, unsweetened coconut
• 1 3-inch "thumb" young ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 1/2-inch "thumb" fresh turmeric, peeled and thinly sliced
• Juice of 3 to 4 limes
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Place a third of all of the solid ingredients in a blender with all of the oil, water, and lime juice.

Puree until smooth. You may need to "pulse" the blender in the initial stages of blending so that the ingredients don't catch in the blender.

Depending on the size of your blender, you may continue adding ingredients to the already pureed sauce until all of the ingredients are used. If you need more space, then remove half of the pureed sauce and continue blending the remaining ingredients in batches, always using a little bit of the original sauce to start with.

When all of your ingredients are blended smooth, place in a medium bowl and stir with a spoon to incorporate flavors

PB & J COOKIES

Yield: 24 cookies

• 4 oz Unsalted Butter, soft
• 1/2 cup granulated Sugar
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 3/4 cup Peanut Butter
• 1 ea Egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1-1/4 cups AP Flour
• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 2/3 cup Jelly
• Granulated Sugar for rolling

Set the oven at 350 degrees F. Place parchment paper on one sheet pan. Set aside.

In the mixer bowl with paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar until fluffy.

Add the peanut butter and beat until smooth.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.

In another bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking soda.

On low speed add the flour mix into the peanut butter mix just until flour disappears, then immediately turn off the mixer (do not over-mix).

Roll dough into 1 Tablespoon balls and then roll in a bowl of granulated sugar.

Place the dough balls on the parchment covered sheet pan and flatten so they make 2-inch circles.

With your thumb, make a depression in the center of each and fill with a generous teaspoon of jelly.

Bake approximately 12-15 minutes. The edges should just begin to darken.

Remove from oven and cool at room temperature. When cool, place in a sealed container and store at room temperature.

Bourbon Basil Sour

• 4 Fresh Basil Leaves
  
• 1 oz Basil Syrup (1 cup simple syrup pureed in a blender with 1/4 cup basil leaves)
  
• 2 oz Four Roses Bourbon
  
• 2 oz Seltzer
  
• 1 Egg White
  
• 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters

Place 4 fresh basil leaves ripped in half into a 10 oz glass, along with 1 oz of basil syrup

Add 2 oz of your favorite Bourbon (we recommend Four Roses) and 2 oz of seltzer

Fill the cup with ice and give it a quick stir so the mixture is well chilled

Place the egg white of one cold fresh egg into the mixture

Cover glass and shake very well until the mixture becomes foamy

Splash with 2 dashes of Peychauds Bitters

Serve in a rocks glass