Tag Archives: 静岡

Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/03)

January 18, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

It still is cold for the season although the weather is beautiful.
Yesterday we could manage a full day of “gardening and terraforming” at the cricket ground in glorious weather!
Which means I’m quite hungry as I write this posting on the Missus’ bento.

For the rice she came up with one of her “oishii/delicious” creations: “maze gohan/混ぜご飯” or mixed rice.

I “stole” that picture as she was momentarily busy while the rice was steaming.
After soaking the rice for a while with a piece of konb, she first fried the mushrooms in soy sauce, grated ginger and someting I couldn’t steal away. She then transfered the lot on top of the rice and steamed as shown in above picture.

Once the rice was properly steamed, she mixed the rice and mushrooms before while hole placing them inside the bento box.

As for the garnish, she quickly fried some taro/sato imo (bought steamed) in soy sauce and something else before coating them with white sesame seeds. She added boiled Na no Hana/rape blossoms seasoned with gomadare/sesame dressing and white sesame seeds, home-made pickles with black sesame seeds (carrots, red daikon, celeri) and freshly made tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette.

The salad and dessert dish included mini tomatoes on a bed of shredded vegetables, trevise cabbage and cress, (tinned) smoked oysters with shiso/perilla leaves to wrap them in and sliced of kiwi fruit!

Plenty of satisfaction here!

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

January 15, 2010 dragonlife Leave a comment

The Missus and I visited our favourite Sushi Restaurant last night, Sushi Ko. it 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.
He knows that I will always ask him to come with a vegan sushi plate not only to demonstrate that such gastronomy exists, but also to lure more customers to his business, which is quite flourishing.

Here what he concocted for us. Sorry for the slightly fuzzy pictures, but I had to contend with an impatient Missus!

These rolls were made with thin wide strips of daikon that mr. Oda quickly marinated in lemon water instead of using dry nori/seaweed.
Inside he rolled sushi rice (shari) with trefoil stems, umeboshi/pickled Japanese plum meat and shiso/perilla leaves!

Buckwheat sprouts/Hime Soba Me/姫蕎麦芽 Nigiri!

Thin leek sprouts/Me Negi/芽葱 Nigiri!

Trefoil/Mitsuba/三つ葉 Nigiri!

What is Mr. Oda going to come up with next time? LOL

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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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Vegetables Facts and Tips 16: Avocado

January 14, 2010 dragonlife 2 Comments

The avocado (Persea americana), aguacate (Spanish), butter pear or alligator pear, is a tree native to the Caribbean, Mexico, South America and Central America, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel. The name “avocado” also refers to the fruit (technically a large berry that contains a large seed) of the tree which may be egg-shaped or spherical.

Avocados are a commercially valuable fruit and are cultivated in tropical climates throughout the world (and some temperate ones, such as California), producing a green-skinned, pear-shaped fruit that ripens after harvesting. Trees are partially self-pollinating and often are propagated through grafting to maintain a predictable quality and quantity of the fruit.

P. americana, or the avocado, originated in the state of Puebla, Mexico. The oldest evidence of avocado use was found in a cave located in Coxcatlán, Puebla, Mexico that dates to around 10,000 years BCE.

The word ‘avocado’ comes from the Nahuatl word ahuacatl (‘testicle’, a reference to the shape of the fruit). Avocados were known by the Aztecs as ‘the fertility fruit’.

The subtropical species needs a climate without frost and with little wind. High winds reduce the humidity, dehydrate the flowers, and affect pollination. In particular, the West Indian type requires humidity and a tropical climate which is important for flowering. When even a mild frost occurs, premature fruit drop may occur, although the Hass cultivar can tolerate temperatures down to −1°C. The trees also need well-aerated soils, ideally more than 1 m deep.

An average avocado tree produces about 120 avocados annually. Commercial orchards produce an average of 7 tonnes per hectare each year, with some orchards achieving 20 tonnes per hectare.

High avocado intake has been shown to have an effect on blood serum cholesterol levels. Specifically, after a seven-day diet rich in avocados, hypercholesterolemia patients showed a 17% decrease in total serum cholesterol levels. These subjects also showed a 22% decrease in both LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels and 11% increase in HDL (good cholesterol) levels.[20] Additionally a Japanese team synthesised the four chiral components and identified (2R, 4R)-16-heptadecene-1, 2, 4-triol as the natural antibacterial component.

The fruit has a markedly higher fat content than most other fruit, mostly monounsaturated fat, and as such serves as an important staple in the diet of various groups where access to other fatty foods (high-fat meats and fish, dairy, etc) is limited.

The avocado is very popular in vegetarian cuisine, making an excellent substitute for meats in sandwiches and salads because of its high fat content.

FACTS:

-Contains large amounts of unsaturated fats, Potassium, Phosphorus, Vitamins B1, B2, and B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Pantoten acid and vegetal fibers.

-Helps lower bad cholesterol and high blood pressure.

-Season: available all year long thanks to high import/export.

TIPS:

-Choose green hard specimens if you have the time to let them ripen to your taste. As soon as it is ripened keep in the fridge, but consume as soon as possible.

-When choosing ripe specimens, choose firm and plentiful. Loose space under the skin is a bad sign.

HEALTH FACTS:

-When combined with apple or lemon, help lower blood cholesterol

-When combined with asparaguses, helps combat skin ageing.

-Generally helps combat bad cholesterol and ageing.

COOKING TIPS:

Avocado Pudding

Banana and avocado shake

Avocadoes of course are great raw or mashed in puddings, dips, sauces and drinks for instance, but they are also great cooked!

They can deep-fried when unripe (see above picture!).

They can be stir-fried in a vegan recipe.

They are great in a vegan gazpacho!

And beautiful stir-fried with chicken!

And don’t forget all the possible combinations as sushi!

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Avocado’s hard! No worries! Deep-fry it!

January 13, 2010 dragonlife 16 Comments

Coming back to a comment and question about what to do with an avocado you peeled away before realizing it was to hard to prepare for your California Roll, Avocado Soup or Avocado Salad, there is no need to worry.

No worries! as they say in Australia!

The same Australians might be tempted to tease you with a few jokes of their own.
A habit they have is to scream “good nut!” when one of their bowler throws an excellent ball to a befuddled batsman during a cricket match.
The same “nut” could be rightfully construed to another word meaning exactly the same when our yankee friends play “hard ball” at Baseball!

I can hear some of good-natured friends saying that once again the old geezeer is laying on it heavily, but have you heard of the real meaning of the word “avocado” in its country of origin?
About time I stop, or some unwanted spammer will find his/her/its way in!

Alright, you found out your avocado is too hard.
Just peel it completely.
Cut it into appropriate “wedges”.
Sprinkle them with a little salt and deep-fry them as they are for 2 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

Serve them with a good beer.
You’ll find they are crispy outside and so sogt inside!
You could sprinkle them with a little lemon juice or some chili powder for more taste.
Plenty of possibilities here. Great snacks for our vegan friends!

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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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Vegan Japanese Cuisine: Kabocha No Amakarani

January 13, 2010 dragonlife 5 Comments

Many people in Japan believe that Kabocha originates from Japan.
Actually it was introduced to Asia a long time ago after it was discovered on the American Continent.
Even the etymology is not Japanese as it refers (apparently, but nothing sure about that!) tothe varieties first grown and developped in Cambodia, according to the sam Japanese who can’t enough of them and mostly import them from Tonga, of all places!

“Kabocha No Amakarani”, or 南瓜の甘辛煮in Japanese means simmered/stewed sweet and spicy kabocha.
It is very easy to make, even if it entails some handiwork. and can be enjoyed by all, vegans or not!

The following recipe bein the basic one, I will keep to the method and leave the exact quantities to your preferences!

RECIPE:

First take the stem end out. It sounds evident, but you will make things hard for you if you skip that simple step!

Turn the kabocha over (now you understand why you have taken the stem out?). Cut in half through the middle. Take care not to slip and cut your fingers!

Having cut the kabocha in half, cut it again in half (fourth). The raw kabocha might be hard to cut. There is no need to use brute force. Cut it slowly!

This will make it easy to scoop out (and discard the seeds).

Cut each quarter again across as shown in above picture.

Then cut again as shown in above picture for individual pieces.

The next step is bit of a pain, but absolutely necessary.
Cut away the skin edges as shown in above picture.
Why?
-1) for a more even cooking.
-2) the edges will turn hard and will be diificult to bite through. You might even cut your lips. Believe me!
-3) the kabocha wedges will not break down upon stewing.

The kabocha wedges as they should be before stewing!

put all the kabocha wedges into a large bowl. Add sugar and mix. Leave it to marinate for at least 3 hours. It will soften the kabocha. It will also enhance the “umami”/taste. Water that will have seeped out will be used when simmering/stewing the kabocha. Don’t throw it away!

Place the kabocha wedges in a larg pan skin down (at least at first!).
Pour their water on top.
Pour dashi so as to cover them.
See dashi recipe HERE.
Cover with lid and cook for a while over a medium fire.
Once it starts to boil, take off lid and season with a little soy sauce and spices if wanted.
Cover again and stew over a low fire until liquid/juices have disappeared.
Can be eaten hot or cold!

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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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Today’s Lunch Box/Bento (’10/02)

January 12, 2010 dragonlife 4 Comments

I will have to be more careful when I describe the Missus’ bentoes this year, as she makes a point to read my comments and crash on me, talons extended, if I make a mistake (who do you think is the dragon in my e-mail address? LOL).
The positive side is that she is starting getting serious about her creations!

As in the rest of North Hemisphere, we are going through a very cold spell in Japan. Here in Shizuoka, the mildest region in these islands after Okinawa, the situation is not dramatic, but it is markedly colder than usual. Therefore bentoes need to pack more body-heating ingredients, but at the same time control the calorie intake!

Today’s bento was certainly well-balanced, keeping in mind this a bento for an adult.

It contained three musubi/rice balls (triangular actually) of two different kinds. Two were made of plain steamed rice with umeboshi/Japanese pickled plum.
The plums had been marinated in honey, counterbalancing the salty taste.
The third one was made of freshly steamed (with konbu/seaweed) rice mixedd with katsuo soboro/bonito powder.
The two umeboshi musubi were wrapped in large egoma/shiso-perilla variety leaves. These leaves are even tastier than the usual shiso leaves.

The tamagoyaki/Japanese omelette was of the plain variety.
When I asked about my dessert, my other half tersely repled that this was my dessert!
The pickled vegetables are home-made and served with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds.

The garnish part was certainly colourful and well-balanced with boiled brocoli, fresh plum tomatoes, a liitle red trevise cabbage and plenty of succulent wasabi lettuce (nothing to do with wasabi but reminiscent of its taste!).

The meat part are tsukune/Japanese meat balls.
They consisted of chicken minced meat, grated renkon/lotus roots and spices that the Missus would not reveal. They were subsequently fried in oil, soy sauce, mirin and I don’t know what (keeping myself away from those talons!) and served coated with plenty of black sesame seeds.

No complaints!