Tag Archives: 美食

Chicken Bones Soup Stock: Tori Gara Soup-Basic Recipe

January 20, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

I was going to post an interesting Japanese Avocado Recipe when I realized that it involves a chicken bones soup stock. Well, to put things simply, I will first introduce the chicken bones soup stock first and the avocado soup next! LOL

It is called “Tori-gara soup”/鶏がらスープ in Japanese, meaning “Chicken carcass soup”.

The following recipe is basic and can be expanded and amended at will. It has also the merit to be useful for any kind of gastronomy, be it Asian, American, European, or African soups or sauces!

INGREDIENTS: As for quantities, do experiment!

-Chicken carcass and bones
-Long leeks
-Garlic
-Ginger (fresh if possible)
-Laurel (fried leaves)
-Black pepper (coarsely ground)
-Japanese sake
-Fruit (apple are best)
-Soy sauce

RECIPE:

Chicken carcass:
This is cheap and can be bought whole, unless you buy a whole chicken, dress it for another recipe and keep the bones and carcass. The latter can be deep-frozen, so don’t throw them away!

Break the bones roughly as the soup ingredients come from their insides. Clean then in running cold water. Drain them and leave them expaosed in a recipient in the refrigerator for a whole night.

Leeks:
You will need a large pot to make your soup.
Use long leeks of the variety above if you can get them. Actually any leeks should do. Cut them in practical pieces.

Ginger:
If possible get it fresh. If slightly dried up as found in Asian markets abroad, no problem.
A piece 5×5 cm (2×2 inches) should be enough.
Peel it and cut into rough slices.

Garlic:
Use it as fresh as possible.
Take out their core out as it is almost indegistible.
One clove should be enough. Slice it roughly after crushing it.

Laurel:
2 dried leaves are enough.

Black pepper:
Grind it over the soup. Quantity is much up to preferences.

Japanese sake:
Use real sake or cooking sake.
You definitely need it.
If unavailable, use dry white wine.

Soy sauce:
Here too, quantity is much up to your preferences.

Fruit:
Fruit will provide you the right balance.
Apples are best.
Cut them in small pieces beforehand.

Fill the pan with water.
Drop in the whole carcass and bones.
Bring to boil.
Switch off fire.
Throw all the water and refill with clean water. This is an important point. It might be troublesome, but if you don’t proceed accordingly the soup will be a failure!
Throw in all the ingredients cited above and stew over a low fire, scooping out unwanted matters regularly.

After 3~4 hours, taste the soup, which should have become whitish and slightly opaque with bone fat floating on top. If it is still too bland, continue stewing.

Strain the soup into a clean pan.
The soup, whenever reheated, should be done so without a lid.

Having strained the soup, you will find there is still plenty meat left on the bones.
It would be a shame to throw it away!
Just taste it and you will understand!

Pick the bones out carefully and throw away the rest.
The meat should come off easily enough to be done by hand.

Do be careful though when you do so as the meat will contain hidden bones piece, which are sharp!

I’m sure you can use all that meat for another succulent recipe!

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Japanese Seasonal Fish: Katsuo/Bonito

January 19, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

Bonito or “katsuo” in Japanese are extensively caught by fishermen from Numazu, Shimizu, Yaizu and Omaezaki Harbours (all Shizuoka Prefecture). The main fishing areas are Shizuoka, Mie, Kochi & Miyazaki Prefectures.
It is also called “katsu” (Tohoku Region), “Honkatsuo” (Kyushu Island), “Magatsuo” (Shikoku and Kyushu Islands. N.B.: the same name designates another fish in other parts of Japan!), “Suji” (Yamaguchi & Wakayam Pref.).
It appears on the markets early Spring~Autumn as “sho gatsuo” (first bonito in Spring) and “modori gatsuo” (return bonito end of Autumn).
They are traditionally line-caught but nets have been used extensively in recent years.

It can be appreciated raw, as sashimi with its skin or without it, preferably served with a saucer of soy sauce (shoyu) mixed with thin slices of fresh garlic, or with wasabi, a touch of lemon and shoyu,

or as nigiri topped with grated fresh ginger a thin slice of garlic, unless you prefer grated fresh ginger with chopped thin leeks.

The same is done with lightly grilled/aburi (or tataki) bonito as sushi nigiri.

Another very popular way to eat it that will please Europeans and North Americans alike, is “tataki”.

The fish is first seared/grilled over charcoal until it is lightly cooked on the whole outside then plunged into iced water to stop it from cooking any longer. It is then cut into large slices and served with freshly chopped garlic and thin leeks, “shiso” leaves (perilla/beefsteak plant) and wasabi.

Note 1: in restaurants specify whether you want the skin or not when ordering sashimi.

Note 2: the same fish is a staple food in Sri Lanka where it is first smoked and then prepared as soup or curry!

It is one of the most versatile fish in Japan.
It can be appreciated in many ways:
As a simple donburi/on a bowl or rice at home (see above picture),

Lightly seared and served as carpaccio,

as bogata sushi/whole fish stuffed with sushi rice,

as oshizushi/pressed sushi,

but my favourite is probably as zuke/marinated in soy sauce, mirin, sake, etc. before being served with a slice of garlic!

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Japanese Seasonal Fish: Hirame/Olive Flounder, Bastard Halibut, Tonguefish, Sole

January 18, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Hirame/平目

“Hirame” could be translated in many ways depending of your country of origin: Flat Fish, Sole, Ｔurbot (although the latter should define “karei”) and what else. There are many varieties, wild or humanーfed. In Japanese, the names are numerous: Hirame, Shitabirame, Ooguchikarei, Oyanirami, etc.

Actually they can be divided into two main groups:

1)The Olive flounder or Bastard halibut (Paralichthys olivaceus; Japanese: ヒラメ/平目) is a species of large-tooth flounder native to the north-western Pacific Ocean.
It is often referred to as the Japanese flatfish or Korea(n) flatfish (광어) when mentioned in the context of those countries.
It is the most common flatfish species raised in aquaculture in Korea. They are raised in Japan and China as well.

Shitabirame/舌平目

2) Tonguefishes (shitabirame/舌平目in Japanese) are a family, Cynoglossidae, of flatfishes. They are distinguished by the presence of a long hook on the snout overhanging the mouth, and the absence of pectoral fins. Their eyes are both on the left side of their body, which also lacks a pelvic fin.

The best season is Autumn to Winter. They are still available until Spring in Shizuoka Prefecture. Wild ones come from Hokkaido and Aomori. Human-fed ones mainly hail from Oita, Ehime, Mie, and Kagoshima Prefectures.

Hirame Sashimi

The domestic wild catch is around 7600 tonnes a year, while human-fed fish amount to around 7100 tonnes a year. A recent increase has been observed in recent years, though. A lot are imported from Korea through Fukuoka and Shimoseki.
They are found in tropical and subtropical oceans, mainly in shallow waters and estuaries, though a few species found in deep sea floors, and a few in rivers.

Hirame can be enjoyed in many ways:
As sashimi, cut in various thickness, according to the chef’s preference and presented artfully.

It can be enjoyed cut in small dices, as tartare, especially shitabirame/tonguefish with tomato and strawberry!

Of course, hiirame is great as sushi nigiri with all kinds of seasoning I prefer it just seasoned with a little lemon juice or yuzu (if available) and salt (preferably “snow salt” from Okinawa!

The Japanese have a fondness for “engawa”, that is the frilled border along the fillets which are usually thrown away in other countries. The texture is different, almost crunchy.

Hirame is great marinated with konbu/seaweed as konbujime/seaweed marinated.

The same konbujime hirame can be served as oshizushi/pressed sushi topped with more seaweed!

An interesting oshizusshi combination is hirame topped with kabu/turnip and seasoned with yuzu juice and zest!

It is also very popular dried as himono/干物, especially shitabirame/tonguefish.

Naturally the Japanese all kinds of hirame cooked in the French way in a simple and succulent manner as above,

or as a beautiful gratin!

Last, but not least, how about grilled hirame with uni/sea urchin sauce?

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Sushi Millefeuille: The Recipe (with Vegan Option)

January 18, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

Following the kind comments of the creators of such beautiful blogs as Gourmet Fury, Bread + Butter, Dhaleb, Reg And Mitzi, Island Vittles and many other friends, I thought the time was ripe to post a couple of simple but colorful sushi recipes than can be easily expanded for home parties and impress your guests!

My vegan and vegetarian friends should not worry as I have explained possible adaptations according to their priorities at the end of such postings!

Here is the second one:
Sushi Millefeuille!

INGREDIENTS (& ADVICE):

Once again need to be too precise about exact quantities here as personal tastes can (and ought to) be different!

First combination (see above picture):

-Sushi rice: as much as you will need (freshly made. See sushi rice recipe HERE)

-Fish: tuna for the red part
-Cucumbers: sliced very thin for the first green part under the tuna.
-Avocado: for the second green part under the tuna (choose ripe avocad)
-Tobikko: Flying fish roe for the topping (if unavailable, can be replaced with salmon roe or finely chopped sweet red pimento.
-Mayonnaise.
Now, if you don’t like it, make a thick dressing. The trick is to make a simple vinaigrette with a lot of soft Dijon mustrd which will give it consistency.
Mayonnaise sold over the counter can be cloying sweet. I would make my own, which is not difficult at all: one egg yolk + salt + pepper + vinegar.
Whisk them all until smooth. Add and whisk in olive oil little by little until you have enough. Point: all ingredients must be at room temperature!
I add some wasabi to it for extra taste!
-Thin leeks for decoration.

RECIPE:

-On a large enough individual serving plate place a large enough cake circle in the middle.

-Fill one quarter/third with sushi rice.

-Lay one layer of fine cucumber slices.

-Lay one layer of sliced ripe avocado.

-Lay one layer of sliced tuna.

-Fill to the brim with another layer of sushi rice and press.

-Top with a layer of tobikko/flying fish roe.

-Decorate with a couple of thin leeks, mayonnaise around the millefeuille and some tomatoes.

Second combination (see above picture):

-Sushi rice.

-Kanpachi/Amberjack (if not available use white fleshed raw fish such as sole, halibut, seabream, etc.)

-Herring roe/Kazu no Ko

-Cucumbers: sliced

-Dry bonito shavings/katsuo bushi

-Thin leeks: finely chopped.

-Mayonnaise

-Tobikko/Flying Fish roe or salmon roe

RECIPE:

-On a large enough individual serving plate place a large enough cake circle in the middle.

-Fill one quarter/third with sushi rice.

-Lay one layer of Kanpachi/Japanese Amberjack or white-fleshed fish.

-Lay one layer of kazu no Ko/herring roe.

-Lay one layer of sliced cucumbers.

-Fill to the brim with another layer of sushi rice and press.

-Top with a layer of Katsuo bushi/Dry bonito shavings and plenty of chopped leeks.

-Decorate with mayonnaise and tobikko around the millefeuille.

There are of course plenty of scope left for improvisation!

VEGAN OPTION:

-Skip the Tobikko/Flying Fish roe. Replace with very finely chopped sweet red pimento.

-As for the mayonnaise, use a vegan subsititute or make a dressing like I suggested above.

-Instead of fish use layers made of cooked carrot or kabocha.
Grilled, peeled and cooled down sweet red pimento also make for great taste and colourful grading.

Naturally boiled and cut to practicality brocoli, asparaguses, violet sweet potatoes and so forth can be combined into a colourful creation!

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Ramen: Cold Ramen/Hiyashi Ramen-Basic Recipe

January 16, 2010 dragonlife 8 Comments

Ramen are not always eaten hot, even in cold countries (japan does become very cold in some areas in winter, I can guarantee you!).
Be it hot or cold, Cold Ramen, Hiyashi Ramen/冷やしラーメンare a very popular dish here.

Whereas the presentation basically varies little, many sauces can be combined with them
Here is the basic (classic) recipe with some different sauces.
I have left the precise quantities again to your preferences. I sincerely hope it will help!

INGREDIENTS:

-Main ingredients:
Cucumber
Beansprouts
Dried shiitake
Char Siu/Chyashyu
Ramen

-Peanuts sauce
Peanuts butter
Soy sauce
Seasme oil
Rice vinegar
Salt
Water

-Hot Sauce
Doubanjiang (chinese), Toubanjian (Japanese), Gochujang (Korean)
Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Rice vinegar
Japanese sake
Water

-Sweet vinegar sauce:
Sugar
Soy sauce
Sesame sauce
Rice vinegar
Japanese sake
Water

RECIPE:

Cucumbers:
Choose the short, crispy Japanese variety.
First massage them with salt.
Wash them under cold clear water.
Slice along their length at a slant and cut the slices into long thin strips.

Beansprouts:
Do choose them fresh for best taste.
Plunge them into hot water and stir them a while.
Drain them thoroughly and let cool completely.

Dried Shiitake:
Let the shiitake swell backto their original soft size in lukewarm water.
Boil them for 5 minutes then.
Drain thoroughly and let cool down before slicing them thin.

Char Siu/Chyashyu:
See recipe HERE.
Cut as much as you want into thin strips.
If unavailable, ham is fine.

Peanuts sauce:
Do experiment with quantities. Have a good look at picture, too!
In a bowl, mix soy sauce and peanuts butter (the less sweet kind if osiible) until you attain a creamy sauce.

Add sesame oil and a little and mix well again.

Add some water and mix well (to lighten it).
Add a little rice vinegar for seasoning and mix well again.
Pour the sauce into a mortar. Add sesame seeds and crush/mix with a pestle.
Depending on your preferences, you can add chili pepper, or a drop of tabasco.
By all means, experiment!
If the taste seems a little bland, add rice vinegar and soy sauce.

Hot sauce:
In a bowl drop Doubanjian, Japanese sake, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and water. Mix well!
Once again, do experiment!
You may add liquid lard for a deeper taste.

Sweet vinegar sauce:
in a bowl drop soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, Japanese sake, sesame oil and water. Mix well.
Once again, do experiment!
If sauce is too thick, add water.

In a large pan bring to boil plenty of water with a little salt.
Throw in the ramen after having made sure they don’t stick to each other.
Control the heat so as not bringing the water back to boiling point.
Cook until slightly hard or very firm.

First drain thouroughly, then wash under cold running water.
Drain again thoroughly.
To prevent the ramen from sticking to each other, add a little sesame oil and mix well.
Boil the ramen after all the other ingredients are ready for fast and best sevice.

Place the ramen in the middle of a plate and cover them with cucumber, beansprouts, shiitake and char siu as decoratively as possible and serve with sauce in a separate dish.

NOTES/POINTS:

-Many restaurants serve the cold ramen seasoned with their sauce. This is not a very good idea as the ramen will end up impregnated and softened.
Add sauce little by little with a small spoon from the sauce dish. It might take more time, but it will far more delicious.

-You can of course use other ingredients as far as the vegetables are concerned. Let your imagination fly. Just make sure they are cut in strips all apprimately the same size!

-The Japanese often add hot mustard just before eating them Experiment!

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Japanese Cuisine: Char Siu/Chyashyu Basic Recipe

January 16, 2010 dragonlife 13 Comments

Posted by Shizuoka Gourmet

I was going to write on article on Cold Japanese Ramen/Hiyasi Ramen/冷やしラーメン when I realized I would have to introduce one main element first, namely Chyashyu (in Japanese) or Char Siu (in Chinese).

Therefore, here is the basic Japanese-style Char Siu recipe before I can introduce the one on Hiyashi Ramen!

INGREDIENTS:

As this is the basic recipe, I will explain the procedure only. I will leave it to you to decide on the exact amounts as priorities are vastly different!

-Pork Belly
-Salt
-Twine
-Sesame seeds
-Seven Spices/Shichimi/七味
-Thin leeks
-Large leeks
-Garlic
-Light taste soy sauce
-Japanese sake
-Laurel

RECIPE:

Choose a block of pork belly with the right proportion of meat and fat.
Personally, I ctually prefer blocks cut out the thighs or back.

Make a few shallow cuts across the pork and salt it lightly. That step will ensure an even seasoning.

Bink the pork with cooking twine as shown in above picture with the fatty side outside.
Bind it tightly as to effectively shape the pork.

As the char siu has to be boiled first, prpare a large enough pan filled with water.
Drop the meat in the water.
Add just a drop of soy sauce, one clove of garlic, two leaves of laurel, some roughly cut leeks (thick variety), some Japanese sake and bring to boil.

Boil over a strong fire for one hour, scooping unwanted matters from time to time.
Bear in mind the boiling water can be used as soupstock for other dishes!
Once taken out of the pan, let it cool and cut the twine. The meat should hold by itself.
It can be consumed as it is.

The Japanese then grill it (aburi/炙り) for even deeper taste.

They use a special grill called nanarin/七輪 using charcoal.
take care not to overgrill it and bear in mind oil could start flying!

Cut the char siu to the thickness wanted.
I like it very thin and eat it a it is. But when using for ramen, I might cut it a bit thicker.

If you want to it eat and serve it for its own sake, cut many slices and arrange them on a serving dish and season it with seven spices mix/shichimi/七味, sesame seeds (whole or ground), chopped thin leeks, a little ponzu.

Doesn’t that look appetizing!

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Sashimi Plate at Sushi Ko, Shizuoka (’10/01/14)

January 15, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

I wrote this posting separately from the one introducing the vegan sushi plate the Missus and I shared at Sushi Ko, Shizuoka, last night so as not to confuse friends with different culinary priorities!
As I explained in the vegan sushi posting, Sushi Ko might not be the most expensive or sophisticated sushi restaurant in our Prefecture but you get the best food at the best price.
It certainly makes for far better value than some vaunted establishments in Tokyo or New York where you pay ridiculous prices for tiny pieces of art in outrageously expensive surroundings!
Moreover, Mr. Oda is one of those very few true chefs who take pleasure in tackling any challenge thrown at him by customers.
Owning a website of his own and knowing I’m more than amenable with his taking pictures of the food I order, we have this great deal of being offered even better presentation!
When it comes to sashimi, Mr. Oda always makes a point to introduce the seasonal fish of the day on a separate board for all to see, meaning that they will not be always available as contrary to the other possible orders written (with their prices!) on small wooden boards hung on the wall above the counter.

There were too many fish to choose from, but the help of Mr. Oda, we chose the following:

Above: Meji maguro Akami/Lean part.
Bottom: Aori Ika/Bigfin Reef Squid.
Can you see the freshly grated Shizuoka wasabi shaped into a green leaf?

Above: Ooma Honmaguro/Ble Fin Tuna from Ooma in Aomori Prefecture, O-toro
Below: the same, chu-toro.
The chrysanthemum is edible.

Above: Meji maguro o-toro
Below: Kinmeidai/Seabream/Great Alfonsino from Izu Penisula in Shizuoka Prefecture.

No need to say that all sublime morsels!

Sushi Ko
shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho. 2-3-1 (Aoba Koen)
Tel.: 054-2512898
Business Hours： 17:00~25:00. 17:00~23:00 （Sundays）
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Japanese Cuisine: Sweet & Spicy Chicken Liver

January 14, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

The Japanese have their own version of”Sweet and Sour”. They actually call it “Amakara” or “Sweet and Spicy”
It is a bit different from Chinese Cuisine in taste, although the concept is very similar.
Here is another simple Japanese liver recipe that you can easily expand on:

Sweet & Spicy Chicken Liver/Tori No Amakara Ni!

INGREDIENTS: for 2 people

-Chicken Liver: 250 g (you can adapt it to any other kind of liver!)
-Ginger: 5×5 cm (fresh)
-Soy sauce: 2 tablespoons
-Sugar: 2 tablespoons
-Japanese sake: 2 tablespoons
-Mirin/sweet sake: 1 tablespoon

Optional:
-Onion: 1/2
-Boiled eggs: 2

RECIPE:

-Clean chicken liver under running cold water. Repeat operation for 10 minutes. You can add 2 tablespoons of milk later if you don’t like the acidity of the liver.

-Cut the fresh ginger into thin slices.
Bring enough water to boil in a pan. Boil the liver for 1 minute. Drain thoroughly.

-Lightly wash the liver under cold running water again. Take off all the fat and blood vessels. If you have the heart, slice it.

-In a pan, drop the liver, soy sauce, sugar, Japanese sake, mirin and ginger. Add 50 cc/ml of water. Cover with lid. Switch on the fire to strong.

-Once brought to a boil, reduce fire to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. If you want to add the onions and boiled egg, slice the onion beforehand and add the onion and boiled egg together with the liver at the same time.

-Try to reduce as much as juices as possible, but don’t overcook.

Option 1: just cooked and served with boiled eggs.

Option 2: cooked and served with both onion and boiled eggs!

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Seasonal Fish: Noresore/Conger Eel Whitebait

January 14, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

“Noresore” will soon appear at some select fish markets, and as it will be a very short season, you will have to keep your eyes open!
Noresore stands for very young conger eels. They are called different names depending on regions: “Berada” in Okayama Pref., “Tachikurage” in Misaki, “Nagatankurage” in Wakayama Pref.
In Shizuoka, they mainly come from Hamana Lake, a seawater lake west of the Prefecture, famous for its oysters, eels and clams.

5~6cm long, they are practically transparent, save for their eyes. They emit no smell. In our Prefecture they are available only during the first two weeks of March. They are slowly but surely becoming a rarity wherever in Japan, and people come from afar just for the experience!

Before serving them, lightly wash them in clean salted water.
They are great as they are with a little “ponzu or “yuzu” vinegar, a dash of “momijioroshi” (freshly grated daikon and chili pepper) and some chopped thin leeks for a last touch of colour!

Now as sushi they are sublime as “gunkan”, or a rice ball wrapped in seaweed if you are an expert, with freshly grated ginger and chopped thin leeks again.

They can even been cooked (very quickly!) in garlic olive oil!

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Japanese Seasonal Fish: Tai-Madai/Seabream

January 13, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

There are many varieties of Seabream/Snappers/Tai/鯛in Japan:
Batodai, Hanadai, Ishidai, Kinmeidai, Mekkidai, etc., but the most popular variety is called Madai/真鯛, or True Seabream.

Even Madai/True Seabream is called different names depending upon the region: Oodai or Hondai.
The best season streches from Winter to Spring.
It is extensively raised by humans in Ehime, Mie and Saga Prefectures.
Wild specimen are mainly caught off the shores of Nagasaki, Fukuok, Kumamoto, and Yamaguchi Prefectures. Not so many Madai are caught in Shizuoka but other varieties are abundant especially around Izu Penisula.

Human-raised amount to over 80,000 tonnes a year wild ones are caught at a rate inferior to 15,000 tonnes a year.
Imports are relatively and account for only about 6.500 tonnes a year.

Madai is widely appreciated raw as sashimi in the Japanese style (above),

in carpaccio, Italian-style sashimi!

The Japanese also ove them grilled or steamed.

The Japanese since immemorial times have preserved the raw fish in rice miso, mirin/sweet sake and konbu/seaweed, but this has become quite an expensive morsel these days!

(Only relatively) lesser varieties, like Kinmedai, are appreciated as Himono/naturally dried fish, a specilaty of Shizuoka Prefecture which produces no less half of all naturally dried fish in Japan! Actually they come almost as expensive!

Konbujime/marinated in seaweed nigiri sushi

As sushi, madai (and other seabreams) are very versatile.
You will encounter them, depending on the region as konbujime/marinated in seaweed (above),

simple, straight nigiri sushi,

oshizushi/pressed sushi,

or zuke/marinated in ponzu, sake, mirin, etc.,

Seabream certainly looks great as temarizushi/Kyoto-style small round sushi nigiri!

Tai Shirako

Like tara/cod, their sperm sacs of the male specimens are highly appreciated and even more expensive than those of cods.

You can have served raw/slightly boiled or grilled as above,

meuniere-style as in French or Italian cuisine,

or on gunkan sushi nigiri!

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Spam Egg Roll

January 13, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

Back into spam!
Bazooka Gourmet is going to start screaming like a banshee!LOL
Making the most of simple ingredients to create a kind of roll reminiscent of a sushi roll!

Spam Egg Roll!

INGREDIENTS: For 2 people

-Spam: Half a can or 170 g
-Potato: 1
-Edamame: 50 g boiled. If not available can be replaced with boild string beans.
-Egg: 1
-Mayonnaise: 1 tablespoon
-Salt and pepper: to taste

RECIPE:

-Boil potato.
Mash it and add mayonnaise, edamame, salt and pepper. Mix well.

-Beat the egg into an omelette.
Use a rectangular nonstick frypan as the ones used for making tamagoyaki/omelette. Make three omelettes (or one if large enough) as thin as possible. Don’t hesitate to make more if needed.
Take out and let cool.

-Cut spam in thin slices and fry. Set apart to let cool down.

-Form rolls as shown on above picture.
Cut in halves before serving!

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Spicy Scallops Sushi Roll: The Recipe (with Vegan Option)

January 12, 2010 dragonlife 9 Comments

Following the kind comments of the creators of such beautiful blogs as Gourmet Fury, Bread + Butter, Dhaleb, Reg And Mitzi, and many other friends, I thought the time was ripe to post a couple of simple but colorful sushi recipes than can be easily expanded for home parties and impress your guests!

My vegan and vegetarian friends should not worry as I have explained possible adaptations according to their priorities at the end of such postings!

Here is the first one:
Spicy Scallops Sushi Roll!

INGREDIENTS (& ADVICE):

No need to be too precise about exact quantities here as personal tastes can (and ought to) be different!

-Sushi rice: as much as you will need (freshly made. See sushi rice recipe HERE)

-Nori/dry seaweed: use large sheets (maximum size)

-Scallops: Only fresh, please.

-Tobikko (Flying Fish roe): as fresh as possible.

-Tempura kasu: these are the pieces of batter found in the oil after frying tenpura. The Japanese do not throw them away! Scoop them out as early as possible and lay them on a piece of paper kitchen to take off excess oil. Let them cool completely. If you do use them immediately, store them by dee-freezing them inside an airtight vinyl pouch!

-Coarsely cruched peanuts. These with the tenpura kasu will add a welcome crunchiness.

-Mayonnaise.
Now, if you don’t like it, make a thick dressing. The trick is to make a simple vinaigrette with a lot of soft Dijon mustrd which will give it consistency.
Mayonnaise sold over the counter can be cloying sweet. I would make my own, which is not difficult at all: one egg yolk + salt + pepper + vinegar.
Whisk them all until smooth. Add and whisk in olive oil little by little until you have enough. Point: all ingredients must be at room temperature!
I add some wasabi to it for extra taste!

-Chili pepper powder.

-Cucumber: finely chopped. Cut the cucumber in 5 cm, 2-inch long pieces. Cut each piece into thin slices. Cut the slices again into very fine strips.

RECIPE:

-In a bowl drop the scallops cut into small pieces. Add the tobikko/Flyiing Fish roe, tempura kasu, crushed peanuts, mayonnaise and chili pepper. Mix well. Taste and rectify the seasoning if needed.

-Spread a large sushi roll mat out and cover it with a sheet of nori/dry seaweed.

-Spread a layer of sushi rice over the whole nori/dry seaweed as equally as possible. Careful with the quantity. Too much and you won’t be able to roll it!

-Leave a small strip space at one extremity. Line with the cucumber in a half centimetre/less than half an inch wide strip.

-Leave a space between the cucumber and scallops mixture to obtain the same pattern as shown in above picture. Spread the scallops evenly. Leave a space at the other extremity to allow for a tight closing of the roll.

-Carefully roll the sushi from the cucmber end. Once completely rolled, pressed gently and evenly so as to allow the nori/seaweed to seal the roll.

-Unroll the mat. Cut the roll and serve at once.

-There is no real need for extra soy sauce or whatever dessing, but this a personal taste.

VEGAN OPTION:

-Skip the Tobikko/Flying Fish roe. Replace with very finely chopped sweet red pimento.

-Instead of using scallops, use mushrooms. White coloured and soft varieties such as button mushrooms, shimeji or even eringi are best.
Cut the mushrooms and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent them from darkening.
Fry them in olive oil until they are soft.
Let them cool completely and drain them thoroughly.
Do not throw the juices away as they can be used in delicious sauces or soups.

-As for the mayonnaise, use a vegan subsititute or make a dressing like I suggested above.

NOTES:

Do not be afraid of varying that recipe. It is very simple!

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Spam California Roll

January 11, 2010 dragonlife 10 Comments

Back into spam!
Bazooka Gourmet is going to kill for that one!LOL
Making the most of simple ingredients to create that ever popular Clifornai Roll!

INGREDIENTS:

-Sapm: 1 can
-Eggs: 2
-Avocado: 1 (ripe)
-Nori/dry seaweed (as much as needed)
-Sesame seeds (as much as needed)
-Mayonnaise (as much as needed)
-Rice: 2 large bowls (freshly made. See sushi rice recipe HERE)
-Salt, pepper: to taste

RECIPE:

-Cut spam into strips and fry.

-Prepare the eggs as tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette and cut as shown in above picture. Check HERE for basic Tamagoyaki recipe!

-Cut avocado as in above picture and let them for a while in some water added with lemon juice. This will prevent the avocado turning brown.

-First spread a sheet of cellophane paper over a sushi roll mat. Then spread sushi rice over it evenly and not too thickly!.

-Spread dry seaweed sheets over the rice.

-Place the sapm, tamgoyaki and avocado as shown in above picture at some distance from the extremity. Line with some mayonnaise.
Point: mix some grated wasabi with the mayonnaise first!

-Roll your Californai roll.
Unwrap and sprinkle it sesame seeds as shown in above picture.

-Cut and serve!

NOTES:

-The rice can be simple slightly salted steamed rice instead of the sushi rice.
-Tamagoyaki can be made in thin wide omelette you will roll first before lining the California roll with it.
-Let your imagination go free if you want to replace the sesame seeds with something else!

Easy, isn’t it?

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Russian Cuisine: Liver sauteed with Potatoes

January 11, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

in spite of those vegan and vegetarian postings, I’m not ready yet to abandon meat, especially liver, which particularly healthy and tasty as far as meat comes!

The Russians do have a gastronomy, and a very homey one at that in spite of all these platters of caviar, and smoked salmon washed down with vodka or Georgia (former Russian Republic!) wine!

Here is a simple recipe to keep you warm on these increasingly colder months of the winter:

Russian-style Liver suteed with potatoes!

INGREDIENTS: For 2 people

-Potatoes: 2 (may Queen, or potatoes that fry well)
-Unsalted butter (A): 20 g
-Salt and black pepper: a little of each

-Liver: 200 g (pork or veal according to your priorities. sliced)
-Onions: 2
-Wine vinegar: 1 tablespoon
-Basalmico vinegar: 1 tablespoon
-Olive oil: 2 tablespoons
-Unsalted butter (B): 30 g
-Unsalted butter (C): 20 g
-Light flour, salt, black pepper: a little of each
-Parsley: a little (finely chopped)
-Garlic: a little (finely chopped)
-Balck pepper: to taste (coarsely ground)

RECIPE:

-Peel onions, cut in half, cut across and along and chop into 7~8 mm wide pieces.
Transfer into an oven dish. Add a little salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil (not included in the ingredients). Mix well. Wrap it closed with some cellophane paper.
Cook inside microwave oven for 5~7 minutes at 600 W.
This step will help the onions to sweeten up and will improve the overall taste.

-Peel the potatoes. Boil them as they are. Once cooked, cut them into 1 cm thick slices.
In a frypan melt unsalted butter (A), fry the potatoes lightly into it. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer in a separate hot dish for keeping.

-in the same frypan melt unsalted butter (b) and fry the onions in it until they get lightly brown and sweet. Transfer into a separate hot dish for keeping.

-Coat the sliced liver with a little salt, black pepper and flour. In the same frypan melt unsalted butter (C) with the olive oil and saute the liver in it.

-Once the liver slices are properly cooked on both sides, add the blsamico vinegar and saute for a while to allow the balsamico vinegar to penetrate into the liver. Transfer into a separate dish.

-In the same frypan transfer the onions back and fry them into the juices laying at the bottom of your frypan. Saute them to let them absorb those juices. Add wine vinegar and sautee long enough for the final touch.

-On a serving plate, first lay the sliced potatoes.
Lay the onions over the potatoes.
Lay the liver over the onions.
Think of presentation when arranging them on the plate. Look at pic above!
Season the whole by sprinkling the chopped leeks, chopped garlic and coarsely ground black pepper.

Serve with dark beer!

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French Restaurant: Vegetarian Lunch at Tetsuya Sugimoto

January 10, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: excellent and very friendly
Facilities: great washroom, great cleanliness overall
Prices: reasonable, good value.
Strong points: Very fresh local ingredients extensively used. Seasonal ingredients only.

Today is Sunday.
As the Missus has to work (for an orthondontist! You can imagine what I’m going though about to\eeth hygiene!LOL) and that I didn’t any have sports event to worry about, I just went to my office for some “work”.
I was not that hungry when an idea burst into the back of my head: why not check on my good friend Tetsuya Sugimoto? I knew he was getting all kind of supremley delicious vegatables for all over the Prefecture and beyond.
My hunch had been the right one when I saw the vegetables advertized on their blackboard outside!

Apart of very comfortable tables and chairs, the restaurant has a beautiful counter where loners (and couples!) can enjoy thir meal almost in semi privacy while ogling at the chef working in his kitchen.

The view from the counter towards the entrance!

The other from the counter looking at Tetsya Sugimoto at work!

Testuya Sugimoto has a wine list all the more remarkable for its very reasonable prices when you consider the taste and combination of the available nectars.
As there was little chance of my guzzling down a full bottle, I just asked for a couple of glass of red wine.

I was served a Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2007 by Chanson et Freres.
A bit young and tannic, but just what I needed!

Now, I didn’t even bother looking at the Sunday Lunch menu and set Courses. I had made sure to come late enough not to interfere with the restaurant’s business and asked Tetsuya in person (if you know him, he is very amenable and will accomodate all your priorities) what he could do with allthe vegetables he had on hand.
“OK!” was the terse reply, but he had realized that I had seen what vegetables were on offer!

The little appetizer above is a combination of two different carrot mousses, red Kyo ninjin and yellow Kyo ninjin (Kyo stands for Kyoto-style, Ninjin for carrots) grown in Hamamatsu city. A dessert if there was one!

And then came the “platter” of sauteed vegetables!

Viewed at a different angle!

And viewed form another angle again!

Testuya explained to me that all the vegetables were sauteed with a little oil, salt and pepper only. The sauce was formed nturally with water and the vegetables juices! Vegans, rejoice!

Now the vegetables were:
Yacon, Kuro Daikon (black-skinned daikon), Yellow and Violet Cauliflower, Aka Kyoninjin (red Kyoto-style carrots), Kiiro Kyoninjin (yellow Kyoto-style carrots), Hina no Kabu/long thin red and white turnip, Petit Vert Lettuce, Shiroi Kabu/White round turnips, andLeek/Poireau from Mr. Matsuki’s Biofarm in Shibakawa-Cho at the foot of Mount Fuji (the other vegetables are from Hamamatsu City).

Testyya belatedly he had forgotten to include the topinambours from Hokkaido Island! He then prepared a small plate of sauteed topinambour in olive oil. Absolutely gorgeous!

The deseert was a beautiful sorbet made with late-ripening apples from Hokkaido. The texture was reminiscent of apple compote. Delicious!

Coffee and mignardises!

For a better view of the mignardises!

My, my, now how much did you pay for that? You might ask.
40 US $, wine, coffe, bread and butter included!
I was so embarrassed I left a 10 US $ tip!

Tetsuya SUGIMOTO
420-0038 Shizuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Umeya, 2-13, 1F
Tel./Fax: 054-251-3051
Open for lunch and dinner
Vegetarian and Vegan courses on order
Closed on Wednesdays
Credit Cards OK