Yes, I realize I’m a bit late…..it’s been a pretty hectic couple of weeks, more so than anticipated. But things finally started slowing down at around noon on Christmas Eve, and the Missus and I managed to take in a movie, Curse of the Golden Flower, this isn’t a movie blog site, so I won’t say much except….."don’t bother"….really….
At least I managed to take my requisite Christmas photo:
After the movie, on the way home, the Missus decided that She wanted a home cooked, Japanese style dinner….say what! At 5pm on Christmas Eve!!!! Good thing Nijiya’s open. So, here are a few photos….no big deal, just some home cooked stuff. I didn’t get photos of everything, especially of stuff I’ve made before like Kabocha Nimono.
Let’s see…while at Nijiya, a young man was bringing out some nice looking Tako(Octopus), so we bought some, and I made my Mom’s Miso Sauce:
The Missus wanted Agedashi Tofu, but told me to "make it good this time; the last time you made it, it sucked."
This wasn’t too bad, the Missus enjoyed the tentsuyu, and I think She prefers this made with soft tofu, instead of silken tofu.
A Sunomono, made with whatever I could find…in this case Cucumber, Wakame, and Small Dried Shirmp.
Along with some Hijiki Nimomo, I also made some Daikon Nimono, simple simmered Daikon.
We purchased some pretty good Shiba Zuke(pickled cucumber and eggplant, maybe a tad too salty), and some really good Takana Zuke(pickled Mustard Greens), I really enjoyed the Takana, I wish I could find my Mother’s recipe for it…..
We both had Katsu Don, and today with the warm weather we’re having I made some Zaru Soba:
It was fun getting back into the kitchen, things had been so hectic, it had been a while. Plus the kitchen still smells real good! ;o)
I hope everyone is enjoying a great Holiday Season!
hey kirk! happy holidays to you and the missus!
mmm…I like Agedashi tofu. What’s your recipe Kirk?
Me too. Love agedashi tofu. Hope you had a great Xmas!
Hi Santos – Our best Holiday wishes for you as well!
Hi Liz and Elmo – You really want my little ol’ Agedashi Tofu recipe? Okay, here goes, a quick and dirty version.
1 block silken tofu(though I think the missus wants something a bit firmer in the future)
1/2 cup Katakuriko(potato starch)
1/2 tsp salt
Canola Oil
Sauce:
1/4 Cup Dashi
2-4 Tb Soy Sauce(not kikkoman), adjust to your taste.
1 Tb Mirin
I wrap the tofu in paper towels and place a slightly weighted plate on it for about 20 minutes to remove excess moisture.
I slice the block of tofu down the center, than across to create the size of tofu squares I need.
I lightly coat the tofu in the mixture of Katakuriko and salt, patting to remove excess, and fry them in oil at about 350 degrees, turning once or twice. When the tofu floats easily it is done. I remove from the oil and drain.
I have a tiny pot that I heat the combination of liquids bringing to a quick boil to eliminate any alcohol. (Note: you can also replace the mirin with twice the amount of sugar)
Place the tofu in a small bowl and pour a few tablespoons of the sauce around it. Top with Katsuobushi, Daikon Oroshi, thinly sliced green onions, or whatever suits you.
Okay, I’m hoping I didn’t miss anything…pretty easy recipe.
oh i forgot to comment, what’s up with li gong’s cleavage on those “golden flower” posters? are they so…prominent throughout the whole movie??
Merry Xmas, Kirk! Your Japanese Christmas dinner looks delicious. I ended up cooking prime rib dinner for 20+ people. Fun, but exhausting :-p
I happened to catch Curse of the Golden Flower also, and I had the same reaction as you. Too many slow, ponderous shots for me.
@santos: Yes, there is lots of cleavage throughout the entire movie. Seems like a Hollywood fantasy version of Imperial China (not that I’m complaining 🙂
Hi Santos – Ummm, in order to keep my marriage in good order, I need to answer with the politically correct…”what cleavage?” LOL! Seriously, there’s a scene at the beginning of the movie where the entire screen is full of women being “bound up”. I thought there was going to be some serious bodice bursting going on! A pretty disappointing film from Zhang Yimou.
Hi Howie – Geez, you must be beat. Doesn’t sound like you had time to enjoy Christmas…. It seems like Zhang Yimou feels he needs to create a grander extravaganza with every film….but what about the plot?
A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
– Chubbypanda
Hi CP – Hope you had a good one!
I’ve been searching the web left and right for a takana zuke recipe and can’t find one anywhere. The asian grocers around where I live have not been takana and the nearest Japanese grocer is 2+ hours away. Could you track down the recipe and post it?
Hi Adam – I’ve been going through my Japanese Cookbooks and haven’t found anything…though I can’t find one of Tsukemono books….maybe someone can help you out. I know there are basic recipes to follow, but I’ve never made Takanazuke. So hang in there!
I have two tsukemono books I ordered off of Amazon and they don’t have any mustard green recipes.
I asked Maki at the Just Hungry blog and she didn’t have a recipe either. However, she did inform me the greens were sun dried, salted for preservation, and then placed in a brine of shoyu and some other ingredients. I like to experiment but that seems like too much work without a proven recipe.
I read somewhere that Japanese style kimchi is produced in a similar way but I’ve had no luck tracking down a recipe for that either.
Oh well. Thanks for looking!
Hi Adam – Good luck. My tsukemono book does mention mustard greens….but just in a ingredient list of items that you can use to make tsukemono. If I find anything, I’ll let you know. BTW, I think you can mail order takanazuke.