Tag Archives: 簡単なレシピ

Cheese Plate at Gentil (7)

GENTIL-09-08-04

This article is again dedicated to Cheese Monger as he is interested in what we can expect here in Japan!

I don’t need to introduce Gentil and Ms. Keiko Kubota in Japan who is THE authority on cheese in Japan!

Look at picture above to find out what I sampled last Wednesday:

Left top: Chaource (Cow, France)
Left bottom: Bon de Sologne (Cow, France)

Centre under muscat raisins: Merois (Goat, France)
Centre bittom: Tsuki no Monogatari/Moon Story (Raw Cow milk, Japan, Hokkaido)

Right top: Mimolette, 2 months old (Cow, France)
Right bottom: Bleu d’Auvergne (Cow, France)

Another great plate, I can assure you!

Restaurant Gentil
Address:420-0031 Shizuoka Shi, Gofuku-cho, 2-9-1, Gennan Kairaku building, 2F
Tel.: 054-2547655 (Reservations advisable)
Fax: 054-2210509
Opening hours: 12:00~14:00, 18:00~last orders for meals at 21:30. Bar time 18:00~23:30. Closed on Mondays.
Credit cards OK
Homepage (Japanese)

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Japanese Cakes/Wagashi 14: Satsuma Imo/Sweet Potato

SATSUMA-WAGASHI-1

Satsuma Imo or Sweet Potatoes are often used in Japanese cakes/Wagashi.
The great advantage is that it makes for completely vegan cakes with an almost endless source of variations.

Here is the basice recipe from you will be able to improvise!

INGREDIENTS:

-Satsuma/Sweet Potato: 400g (peeled)
-Sugar: 75 g
-Agar agar powder: 3 g
-Salt: a pinch
-Water: 20 ml

RECIPE:

SATSUMA-WAGASHI-2
-Cut the sweet potato into small pieces and wash under clear cold water to take off astringency.
Boil in a pan with 20 ml of water until soft.

-Just before the potatoes are completely cooked, add sugar agar agar and salt. Bring to boil and swith off fire. Bear in mind there will is very little water. Do not burn the poatoes!

-Transfer potatoes into a frying pan and fry until they get smooth..

-Return to boiling pan and heat to get all excess water out.

-Pass through a sieve, or process.

-Wet the inside of a refrigerator recipient before spreading cellophane paper inside. Pour the potato puree into the recipient and fold the cellophane paer on top, leaving no air between cellophane paper and potato. Chill inside refrigerator.

SATSUMA-WAGASHI-3

Before eating unwrap cellophane paper and cut into preferred shape.
This is where the fun begins!

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Vegetarian French Cuisine: Terrine Bayadere de Poivrons/Pimento and Cheese Terrine

POIVRONS

Soft Pimentoes or Poivrons in France are eaten from Spring to Fall, especially in the South.
Incidentally it is the vegetable richest in Vitamin C.
Bear in mind that the skin and seeds are difficult to digest.

Here is a fairly simple recipe for vegetarians I just found in my books:
Terrine Bayadere de Poivrons/Pimento and Cheese Terrine!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 persons

-Green pimentoes: 2 large ones
-Red pimentoes: 2 large ones
-Yellow Pimentoes: 3 large ones
-Fresh Goat Cottage Cheese (Petit Billy style)/ You may replace with any soft fresh cheese of your choice
Balsamico Vinegar: 3 tablespoons
-Herb-scented (taragon, etc…) olive oil (EV): 80 ml
-Red Chili Pepper (Espelette in France): 1 teaspoon
-Garlic: half a clove
-Ciboulette (or very thin leeks. If unavailable, flat parsley or fresh coriander): a few sprigs
-Fine salt: to taste

UTENSILS:
4 deep transparent glasses as shown on picture above.

RECIPE:

-Wash the pimentoes and grill, one colour at a time, inside a plate under the grill of an oven.

-Take out the pimentoes, once their skin has “cracked away” and wrap (colour separated!) inside foil paper or inside plastic pouches for 15 minutes
Use three plates for grilling. Deglaze each plate with one tablespoon of balsamico vinegar. Sieve the juice one by one into three small bowls or back into their plates, and keep for later process.

-Mix the cheese with half of the red chili pepper, fine salt and crushed/finely chopped garlic and 30 ml of olive oil.

-Peel and take seeds off pimentoes by colour.
Process (three different times) into puree with their deglazed juice and some olive oil. Season with red chili pepper and salt each of the purees.

-In each glass pour one pimento puree of your choice. Add one layer of cheese, then one layer of another pimento pure, and again one layer of cheese and the final layerof pimento puree.
Wrap with cellophane paper and leave in the refrigrerator for 6 hours.

-Before serving add chopped leeks or herbs.
Serve with a spoon and small toasts of your favourite bread!

Dry white wine is best with such a dish!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/53)

BENTO-09-08-04a

Today was clear and bleeding hot, but contrary to Jenn might think, the Missus came up with the comment this morning: “Kyo wa, te-nuki bento da!/Today, lazy bento!”
I know better than to argue. It is the best way to provoke the Missus into a little more work she had intended first!

BENTO-09-08-04b

She boiled potatoes, cool then under running cold water and drained them before adding dressing, beans salad and choppes veg to them.
She added red and yellow mini tomatoes from Shizuoka, soft boiled egg, lettuce and olives before closing the box.

BENTO-09-08-04c

For extra garnish, she deep-fried chicken, one plain and the other with black sesame seeds. Lemon for extra seasoning and lettuce to wrap them in.
Red cheddar cheese and red grapefruit for dessert.

Not bad for a lazy bento!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/52)

BENTO-09-08-03a

Monday!
For once it was not raining this morning, meaning that the Missus was in a fairly good mood and accepted my requests for today’s bento!

BENTO-09-08-03b

“Today’s bento might be a bit small. Is that ok?”
“No problem!”. Actually it looked as there was plenty.

BENTO-09-08-03d

“How many musubi/rice balls do you want?”
“Three will be enough!” (I know how big they come…)
“I include dry nori/seaweed in a separate pack for you to wrap them in!”
“Fine!”
“Three different kinds: one with sweet seaweed, one with minced red cucumber pickles and one with salmon furikake/seasoning powder!”
“Very fine!”

BENTO-09-08-03f

“As you requested, I put edamame tamagoyaki! Is that enough?”
“Sure, as I have already eaten two pieces!”

BENTO-09-08-03e

“As for the garnish, gyuniku saikoro/beef dices, beans salad, mini-tomatoes and celery!”
“Perfect!”
“For dessert, nectarine!”
“Thank you so much, dear!”

I wonder how long this fine weather will hold,…

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Vegetarian Japanese Cuisine: Dragon Fruit Flower Shoot Tempura

dragon-tempura1.jpg

The Missus recently came back once again with a favourite “unusual vegetable” of hers: Dragon Fruit Flower Shoots.
The Japanese have come with the best idea to sample any new vegetable: tempura!
Technically speaking it originated in Portugal whose sailors introduced it to Japan a few centuries ago. The word itself is Portuguese.

dragon-tempura2.jpg

My better (worse?) half cut them into halves and prepared batter. She favours her own style, heavier than the Japanese, but lighter than the European/American “fritters”!

dragon-tempura3.jpg dragon-tempura4.jpg

She took the opportunity to add some other tempura made with shrimps and goya.
Served with ma-cha tea powder and salt mixed with sakura/cherry blossoms powder, it just turned out perfect with beer and sake!

NOTE:
Vegans can make tempura by mixing water an dflour with cornstarch instead of egg whites.

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Belgian Cuisine: Potato Cream, Shrimps & Smoked Ham

POTATO-SHRIMPS

Belgium is one those unsung countries when it comes to gastronomy.
Who has heard of the Ardennes Forest and its abundant game and mushrooms? Have you visited Bruges? The biggest misconception is “French fries”! Sorry, mate, but they are Belgian! And what about mussles and waffles?… And the beer?

Here is a typical fare that people in Bruges are fond of:
Potato Cream (Mashed potato cream), Shrimps & Smoked Ham!

INGREDIENTS: for 4 persons

-Potatoes: 4 bintje if possible
-Small (grey) shrimps: 300 g
-Smoked ham: 4 slices
-Egg yolks: 4
-Butter: 150 g
-White wine: 3 cups/600 ml
-Olive oil (EV): a little
-Fresh cream: 1 large tablespoon
-Nutmeg: 1 pinch
-Salt, pepper: to taste

RECIPE:

-Peel the potatoes. Cut them for easier cooking. Boil them in water for 20 minutes. Mash them with a fork. Add a little of the cooking water if necessary. Add and mix in a little olive oil and the fresh cream. Keep warm.

-Lightly fry smoked ham in a little butter. Get the shrimps rid of their shells and heads.

-In a bain-marie (on the fire put a pan with water and heat, use a smaller pan and place it inside the water-filled pan so as to avoid a direct contact with the heat) pan, whisk the egg yolks quickly addin the wine to them litle by little. Then add and mix the butter, a small piece at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix.
Add this sauce to the mashed potatoes, mixing the two delicately. Season again if necessary. Ad the nutmeg.

-In a plate place some mashed potatoes in the middle. Wrap a piece of smoked ham around it and put the plate under the grill for a few minutes to obtain a lightly coloured top for the potatoes.

-Steam the shrimps and place them on top and around the mashed potatoes. Add a touch with some flat parsley or other herb of your liking!

To be savoured with a Belgian beer!

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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Leeks Marinated with Ponzu & Mustard

LEEKS-PONZU

Sorry Holly , but I will have to take a (very small) break away from leeks after this article, otherwise Comestiblog will really think I’m leaking from everywhere!

This is a very easy recipe that you can use as an appetizer or on top of freshly steamed rice.
“Ponzu” is a kind of light Japanese sweet rice vinegar based dressing one can use instead of soy sauce with the immediate result of reducing salt intake.

Leeks Marinated with Ponzu & Mustard!

INGREDIENTS: For 2 persons

-Long leeks (Japanese style): 1
-Ponzu: 3 large tablespoons
-Mustard (containg seeds)/You can improvise here and introduce various kinds of mustards, such as cassis mustard and so on!

RECIPE:

-Cut the leek in 5~6 cm long pieces

-Fry the leeks in oil of your choice until they change colour a little.

-If you wish to eat it hot, season with mustard and ponzu, saute just a little and serve.

-If you wish to eat it cold, Mix with mustard and ponzu in a bowl, let cool and place in the fridge.

-One can improvise the amount of sauce to one’s liking.
I personally like it served as in above picture.

Simple and healthy!

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/51)

BENTO-09-07-28a

Since my new Friend Marya has decided to try and make bento for her husband, expect Japanese bentos from two different Foodbuzz members in Shizuoka!

The Missus came up a totally different type of bento today: “Hiyajiru/冷汁/Cold Soup”!

BENTO-09-07-28b

She first prepared a soup with konbu/seaweed stock to which she added Japanese spices and all kind of fresh vegetables including tomatoes, okra, cucumbers and so on. To coll it down quickly she added ice and let chill while she prepared the rest.

BENTO-09-07-28c

She prepared two large musubi/rice balls seasoned with sesame and I on’t know what (secret) and let these cool down two.

BENTO-09-07-28d

She then steamed goya stuffed with chicken paste.

BENTO-09-07-28e

I put the whole bento in the office fridge first thing.
When I took it out for lunch, I first open the cold soup box which was perfectly chilled by then.

BENTO-09-07-28f

I put the rice balls in the soup. With a spoon I broke them and ate them with the soup.

BENTO-09-07-28g

As for the “salad” I used the miso-pickled soft boiled egg to seaon the chicken-stuffed goya the Missus had cut into slices.

Very good cold bento for this very sultry summer!

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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Leeks & Shiitake Mushrooms

LEEKS-MUSHROOMS

Here is another posting for Holly who has showed such an enthusiasm for leeks. This mini-series of very simple recipes on leeks will also please vegans and vegetarians!

Leeks and Shiitake Mushrooms!

INGREDIENTS: For 2~3 people

-Shiitake Mushrooms: 6~8 fresh
-Leeks: 2~3 depending on their size. Choose them long and mostly white
-Sesame oil: to taste
-Salt & pepper: to taste
-Soy sauce: to taste

RECIPE:

-Chop the leeks fine and mix with sesame oil in a bowl

-Take the stems off the mushrooms. Sprinkle mushrooms with salt and pepper. Fill with plenty of chopped leeks.

-Bake in oven for 4~5 minutes until they acquire a pleasant colour.

-Season with soy sauce before serving.

NOTE:

You can easily bring variations with chili pepper, Thai sweet and hot sauce, and chopped herbs of any kind!
Eat as soon as out of the oven (with a beer?)

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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’09/50)

BENTO-09-07-27a

It has been raining for a full week now, and apparently we are in for another week of it.
That certainly does not put the Missus into the right mood, but she somehow managed to prepare my bento this morning after a lot of grumbling!

BENTO-09-07-27b

It was simple but healthu and plentiful (actually she had warned me not to take pics….):
The musubi/rice balls wer mixed with “ume kake/pickle plum seasoning powder and wrapped into fresh shiso/perilla leaves.
The Missus added “chikuwa/fis paste rolls stuffed withe fresh cucumber, fried kinpira including konyaky, carrots, beans and seaweed, and som Renaissance tomatoes grown in Kakegawa City.

BENTO-09-07-27c

As for the salad, it consisted of a bed of chopped veg, some home^made pickles onions, smoked salmon and a soft-boiled egg.

I must admit it was very satisfied in spite of all the grumbles!

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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Leeks & Miso Savoury Sauce

LEEKS-MISO

Here is the next posting for Holly who has showed such an enthusiasm for leeks. This mini-series of very simple recipes on leeks will also please vegans and vegetarians!

This particular recipe can serve as an accompaniment for many things, especially rice!

Leeks & Miso Savoury Sauce!

INGREDIENTS: For one serving
-Leek/green outside layer is best: 2 or 3 layers/chopped very fine
-Garlic: 2 cloves/crushed and finely chopped
-Fresh ginger: same volume as garlic/grated
-Miso (of your choice. I like it fairly strong): 150 g
-Sugar: 2~3 large tablespoons
-Japanese sake (cooking sake is fine): 2 large tablespoons
-Mirin/sweet sake: 1 large tablespoon
-Sesame oil: 1 large tablepoon

RECIPE:
-Heat sesame oil in frypan. Throw in chopped leeks, grated ginger and chopped garlic and sautee over a medium fire.

-Once the leeks are cooked soft, switch off fire. Add miso, sugar, Japanese sake and mirin and mix well.

-Put back onto fire. Taking care not to “boil” it, cook it for a while stirring regularly.

-Pour it inside a glas jar and securely close it. Can be kept safe for up to 2 months.

NOTE:
Choose your leeks as fresh as possible.
Check the sugar for taste.

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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Leeks & Tofu

LEEKS-TOFU

Since Holly has showed such an enthusiasm for leeks, I had a look in my Japanese recipe notes and came with a mini-series of very simple recipes on leeks that will also please vegans and vegetarians!

As it is also very easy tofu recipe, he “Tofu Tribe” (Terecita, Elin, Jenn and Jennifer should be interested!

Leeks 6 Tofu!

INGREDIENTS: for one hungry person

-Tofu: 1 cho: 250 g
-Leek: 1 (choose it long and thin)
-Salt: a big pinch
-Sesame oil: 2 large tablespoons

RECIPE:

-Take as much water off the tofu as possible.
This can be done by envelopping it into a clean cloth and putting a weight on top.

-Chop the leeks very finely, as much a syo like (the more the better) and drop them into a bowl. Add the salt and sesame oil.
Mix well and delicately pour it on top of the tofu you will have place on a serving plate.
One may season it with a little chili pepper or black pepper.

Eat it with a spoon and have a beer with it!

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Safran & Mandarine Mashed Potatoes with Cockles & Mussles

MASHED-SAFRAN

One should never be afraid to experiment with seasonal products.
A failed experiment is certainly better than a dish served again and again ad infinitum!
At least this dish will be remarked for its colour!

Safran & Mandarine Mashed Potatoes with Cockles & Mussles!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 persons

-Potatoes: Choose 6 beautiful ones
-Mussles: 1 kg
-Cockles: 1 kg
-Dry white wine: 2 cups/400 ml
-Mandarines: 2 (organic if possible)
-Mandarin oil: 3 large tablespoons
-Shallots: 2
-Butter: 50 g
-Fresh cream: 2 large tablespoons
-Safran powder: 2 g
-Safran filaments: a few
-Mimolette cheese
-Egg yolks: 2
-Salt & pepper (to taste)

RECIPE:

-Mandarine oil:
Take the skin off mandarines (not includging the white part). Take out mandarine wedges.
Drop them in a glass jar with some pepper and cardamom.
Cover with EV olive oil and marinate for a few days in afresh area (not in the fridge as the oil would become solid).

-Wash the mandarines under warm water and leave them in freezer for 10 minutes. Grate their skins onto a plate and press their juice into a small bowl.

-Wash the mussles.
Drop them in a deep pan and heat them together with a glass of white wine, chopped shallot and safran filaments until they all open, stirring from time to time..
Take out the flesh out of the shellfish. Filter put aside the sauce.

-Repeat the same procedure with cockles.

-Peel the potatoes, cut them into pieces and cook them in salted water. When they properly cooked, mash them and mi in mandarine oil, safran powder and the fresh cream. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

-Sauce:
In a pan over a medium fire, pour in the mandarine juice and the mussles and cokcles sauce. Reduce a little. Beat the egg yolks and add them to the sauce, beating all the time as you add the butter in small pieces at a time. Season with salt and pepper, a few safran filaments and grated mandarine skin.

-Take 3 large tablespoons of the sauce and mix them with the mashed potatoes. Dop the mussles, cockles and mandarine wedges into the sauce to heat them slowly on a small fire.

-Serve the mashed potatoes mounted with thin cuts of mimolette cheese and surrund them with sauce, mussles, cockles and mandarine wedges.

Drink a dry white wine with them!

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Cheese Plate at Gentil (6)

GENTIL-CHEESE-09-07

This article is dedicated to Cheese Monger as he is interested in what we can expect here in Japan!

I don’t need to introduce Gentil and Ms. Keiko Kubota in Japan who is THE authority on cheese in Japan!

Look at picture above to find out what I sampled lately:

Right top: 6-month old Gouda (Holland)
Right centre: 12-month old Mimolette (France)
Right bottom: Epoisses (France)

Centre: Fourme d’ambert (France)

Left top: Sakura (Hokkaido/Japan)
Left centre: Bon de Sologne (France)
Left bottom: Gorgonzola Dolce (Italy)

Great plate, I can assure you!

Restaurant Gentil
Address:420-0031 Shizuoka Shi, Gofuku-cho, 2-9-1, Gennan Kairaku building, 2F
Tel.: 054-2547655 (Reservations advisable)
Fax: 054-2210509
Opening hours: 12:00~14:00, 18:00~last orders for meals at 21:30. Bar time 18:00~23:30. Closed on Mondays.
Credit cards OK
Homepage (Japanese)

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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