Category: Cooking

Last week we "hit the wall"…… The Missus and I were going over our favorite restaurants one by one, and really didn’t feel like eating at any of them. Truth was, we really didn’t want to eat out at all. It seems that "restaurant fatigue" had set in. Those moments of indecision, really disguise the fact that you really want to just stay at home and cook something. But what?

Then the Missus suggested Won Ton Soup. So we made a quick trip to 99 Ranch Market, and picked up some Shrimp, Bok Choy, Won Ton Wrappers, Egg Noodles, and somehow the Missus talked one of the "Guys" in the meat department into grinding some fresh pork loin. Amazing!

When we arrived home, I got about 8 cups of chicken stock going, and seasoned to taste, with soy sauce, the white parts of green onion, salt, white pepper, Tsao Tsing, and Fried Garlic:

I also got two pots of water going; a small pot, and a larger pot for the egg noodles. In our household we divide up the labor when it comes to dumplings and won tons. I do the prep, the Missus folds the Won Tons, and I do the cooking. This works out best for us.

Here’s the "broad outline" of the recipe for the Won Tons:

1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb shrimp, shelled, deveined, and chopped
4 pieces dried black fungus(cloud ears) cleaned, soaked, and chopped into fine strips
3 pieces shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and chopped fine
2 bunches green onion chopped
2 Tb Shao Tsing
3-4 Tb Soy Sauce
2 tsp salt
1 Egg
white pepper to taste

2 tsp cornstarch dissolved with 2 tsp water

1. Combine filling ingredients, use egg to "bind" mixture.

2. Create "test" Won Ton, place into small pot of simmering water, cook, and check flavoring.
3. Place filling into won ton wrappers, and fold; sealing with water and cornstarch mixture.

4. Cook desired Won Tons, and freeze the remainder. Makes about 75 Won Tons.

We made "One Ton of Won Ton" Egg Noodle Soup:

For excellent step-by-step instructions on making won tons check out this great post from Annie’s blog Green Beans in San Diego.

Here are some other "Links" that have caught my attention recently:

Kiki on Her Food Blog Kiki Rice, has a very good "primer" on various Vietnamese Noodles.

The so very informative Food Blog S’Cool has an interesting post with a link to an article on the Legal Rights of Photographers.

And Rachel on Her Blog Filling Good, has a photo of a delici-yoso looking Burger that I can’t get out of my head……

And most importantly I’d like to wish Passionate Eater(aka ‘PE’) a quick recovery. Recently, PE injured Her hand, and is recovering. Unfortunately, weighed down by a finger splint she’s unable to post at this time.

The day after our visit to the Wat Thai Temple's food court, the Missus asked me to make Pad Thai. The request filled me with a bit of apprehension. You see, first of all, I hadn't made Pad Thai in about 6 years, and have never used the Big Kahuna to make any type of noodles. Also, I must admit, I really don't deal with last minute cooking requests real well.

First of all, I had to find "My" recipe. We used to cook alot more when we lived in Los Angeles, and became obsessed with Pad Thai. Not cooked using any particular recipe, but made to our taste. We must have made at least a dozen versions of these noodles before coming up with something that we enjoyed. Now after all these years, I dug up the crumpled sheet of yellow legal pad paper I wrote the recipe on. What follows, is that recipe, though this version was a bit different, which I'll get into later. And of course a quick trip to 99 Ranch Market was in order.

This time, the Missus wanted Shrimp as the meat for her Pad Thai, so we replaced the Chicken and Dried Shrimp with fresh shrimp. The other item I really feel strange using in Pad Thai is Ketchup, yes, I use Ketchup. I never said it's authentic, it's just the way we like it. Also, we tried to cut out the amount of oil when we originally made Pad Thai, and ended up using low-sodium chicken broth to keep the noodles from sticking to the wok. High heat has made the chicken broth a relic. Amazing what 50,000 BTU's can do! In this case shell and devein 1/3lb shrimp; season with salt and pepper(I added 1 Tb Xiao Sing), and stir fry over high heat:

Also as with any stir-fry, have everything prepped. It's especially important if using high-heat!

Here's my original "crumpled" recipe:

Pad Thai
1/2 lb dried rice noodles – soaked in warm water about 20-30 minutes, drained, cut in half.
1/3 cup chicken broth
2-3 TB oil – most Pad Thai recipes use 1/4-1/2 cup of oil – we get away by using chicken broth to avoid sticking
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 lb chicken sliced thin and seasoned with S&P and marinated in 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp water for 15 minutes
1/4 lb baked or fried tofu sliced
2 eggs beaten – can use 2whites/1yolk season with S&P
1/4 cups chopped roasted peanuts
1/2 lb bean sprouts
2-3 stalks green onions – green portions cut chinese style, parts of the whites finely sliced
1 lime

Pad Thai Sauce:
3-4TB Brown sugar or Palm sugar
3TB Tamarind Paste – we use dried tamarind and reconstitute it in boiling water into a paste and strain
3 t finely chopped dried shrimp.
2TB Ketchup – Yes, ketchup
5-6TB Fish Sauce – We use Tiparos – you can adjust. Pad Thai tastes best with Tiparos which has almost a caramel fragrance when used.
3-4TB Shoyu
1t(or more) Red Pepper – optional

Head oil and saute garlic and white part of green onion until garlic is light brown.
Add some chicken broth to make sure that bottom of wok is covered.
Add chicken and tofu, then add egg, let set about 5 seconds and then stir fry until chicken is cooked
Add juice from 1/2 of the lime
Use broth to keep from sticking as necessary

When chicken is cooked add 1/2 of the bean sprouts, green parts of green onions, and rice noodles and mix

Add sauce and cook for a few minutes until cooked and well mixed – use chicken broth to keep from burning/sticking

Plate Pad Thai, add the rest of bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, place sliced lime wedges around plate. You may also want to garnish with chinese parsley.

The verdict? Well, we've never achieved that bright orange-red color of some of the Pad Thai we've eaten, but it tasted pretty good. In my rush I bought some pretty lousy noodles, but that'll be rectified in future versions.

Whew, I survived Pad Thai! We included some of the Papaya Salad we bought at Wat Thai.

Again, the recipe is just our broad interpretation. Barbara of Tigers & Strawberries has a nice version here.

*** I have an updated (2014) version of this recipe here if you're interested.

Nishime; a humble Japanese Vegetable Stew, is a New Years staple for many households in Hawaii. There are probably as many different Nishime recipes as there are Families, and you are sure to find Nishime at almost any New Years "spread" in Hawaii.

Actually, I've been trying to retire from making Nishime for several years. As soon as New Year approaches, I'd ask the Missus if she wants me to make "Sukiyaki". And Her answer will always be the same; "No, I want Nishime". "Why?" "Because it takes much more time and labor to make. And that is a labor of love. heeheehee." It's quite surprising that such a humble stew, takes so much time and effort to make. Though to be honest, many of the ingredients can be bought already cut, sliced, or otherwise prepared. But for some reason the Nishime made with pre-made ingredients doesn't taste the same. It probably lacks the saltiness from the sweat of my labor! The actual cooking time is only about 30 minutes or so. It's the preparation that takes time.

Please forgive the somewhat "disjointed" recipe. I've tried to present the process in a fairly coherent manner, including many steps that are probably obvious to anyone who has made Nishime, or any similar dish before.

1 Lb Thinly sliced lean pork(We use Beef, the Missus enjoys the flavor)
2 Tb Vegetable Oil
5 Cups Water
2 36" Strips Nishime(not Dashi) Kombu(Kelp)
1 Strip Kanpyo (Dried Gourd)
2 Packages Konnyaku or Shirataki
2 Cups Daikon cut into wedges
1 Cup Carrots cut using a rolling cut
2 Cans Takenoko Tips(Bamboo Shoot Tips)
2 Stalks Gobo (Burdock Root)
12-15 Satoimo/Araimo/Dasheen(Japanese Taro)
6 dried or fresh Shiitake Mushroom – rehydrated in warm water if dried
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Mirin
2 Tb Sake
1/2 Tsp salt
2 Cloves Garlic Minced

1 – Place two large pots of water on the stove and bring to a boil.

2 – Wash Kombu, and strip lengthwise if wider then 3 inches. Tie into knots at 2 inch intervals. To make the Kombu the way I do it, tie one strip of Kombu into knots, and leave the other as is. Soak Kombu in water for 20 minutes. Soak Kanpyo in water for 20 minutes.

3 – Cut Gobo in half; and scrape "skin/bark" off of root using a spoon. Immediately place in water to prevent discoloration. Cut Gobo into 1/2" matchstick lengths. Parboil in water for several minutes(I use a microwave for 3 minutes on high)

4 – Blanch and peel Araimo, and place in water to avoid discoloration.(Blanching makes the taro much easier to peel) Be careful if cutting the taro, it is very starchy and slippery.

5 – Because the Missus likes her Kombu in "maki"(roll) form; I'll tie half the Kombu, and make the other half into maki as a compromise; rolling the Kombu and tying with a short strip of Kanpyo.

6 – If the smell or slight bitterness of Bamboo Shoots bothers you, pour boiling water over Bamboo Shoots, drain, then cut into slices lengthwise.

7 – If using Shirataki(yam noodles), open packages and place in a colander. Pour boiling water over Shirataki to remove the "smell". If using Konnyaku, slice crosswise.

8 – Cut Daikon into "wedges", cut Carrots using a "rolling cut".

9 – Mince garlic.

10 – Heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and pork until light brown in color.

11 – Add water, all the vegetables(except Shiitakes), sugar, sake, and mirin. Bring to a slow boil and cook for 15 minutes.

12 – Add Shiitakes, soy sauce, and salt and simmer 15 minutes, or until cooked. Taste and make adjustments to flavoring.

Like most stews, the Nishime will taste better the day after cooking.

Whew! No wonder Nijiya sells Nishime for $3.99 for 2 ounces! As mentioned before, you can purchase peeled and perfectly round frozen satoimo and rolled kombu maki ready to be soaked. I would not recommend the frozen packaged sliced Gobo; many times a preservative is used to prevent oxidation. I've also eaten Nishime with abuarage(fried tofu), Hasu(Lotus Root), Kamaboku(steamed fish cake) or chicken used to replace the pork/beef. Dashi is also often used to add flavor as well. So many variations for this tasty, but humble "poor folk's" stew.

I'm bushed!

Tonight I decided to make a few more quick and easy Japanese dishes. Because we didn’t want to be cooking all evening, I chose 2 really easy dishes that took a total of about 30 minutes.

The first was Lotus Root "Kinpira", a very easy(3 step) sweet and spicy dish of crunchy lotus root that is delici-yoso with Gohan(rice).

Renkon Kinpira
Sweet and Spicy Lotus Root

1/2 lb Lotus Root
1 Tb Sesame Oil
1 Tb Vegetable Oil
1 Tb Sake
3 Tb Soy sauce
1 Tb Sugar
1 Tb Mirin
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper
Shimichi Togarashi(Japanese Chili Pepper)optional
Toasted Sesame Seeds
1/4 Cup White Vinegar
2 Cups Water

1 – Peel the Lotus Root and slice thinly. Soak briefly in Vinegar and Water to remove bitterness.

2 – Heat Sesame and Vegetable Oil in a saucepan(I add vegetable oil to increase the smokepoint of the sesame oil), using medium heat fry the lotus root until slightly translucent. Do not overcook! Add crushed red pepper, Sake, Soy Sauce, Sugar, and Mirin. Simmer until all the liquid evaporates.

3 – Sprinkle with Sesame Seeds before serving.

The second dish was very easy Simmered Wakame and Bamboo Shoots. Wakame is a very popular dried seaweed, that can be found in everything from miso soup to salads. I’ve even had it in a few Korean Dishes, and as Kim Chee. To say that the Japanese have been using Wakame for a long time is an understatement. Use of Wakame have appeared in Japanese documents as far back as the ninth century. This dish is a fragrant and supposedly healthy dish, that combines two very aromatic ingredients, the earthy-woody bamboo shoot(takenoko), and the oceany wakame. I used canned bamboo shoots to cut down the cooking time.

Waka-Take Nimono
Simmered Wakame and Bamboo Shoots

2 (14.5oz) Cans Boiled Bamboo Shoot Tips
1/3 Cup Dried Wakame
2 1/2 Cups Water
1/3 Cup Sake
3 Tb Sugar
3 Tb Mirin
1/3 Cup Soy sauce
1/2 Tsp Dashi No Moto(instant dashi)

1 – Cut the Bamboo Shoots lengthwise into quarters or eighths depending on their size.

2 – Place wakame into a bowl and pour boiling water over them, and drain quickly.

3 – Place Bamboo Shoots and water into a pot, cover and bring to a boil. When a boil is reached add sake and mirin and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add Sugar and Soy Sauce, and stir. Simmer for 5 more minutes.

4 – Add wakame and simmer briefly. Turn off heat and add Dashi No Moto

Some notes on the Wakame; I used the "chopped" variety. If you purchase the "whole" variety, use about 2 strands.

Enjoy!

"You know that I know how to make that stuff, don’t you?"

"Well why don’t you make me some then?"

A typical conversation over the prepared food case at Nijiya. I usually would just go ahead and buy the stuff, but for some strange reason today I was overcome with bravado; and of course the Missus called me on it.  I haven’t really made any of this stuff in years. Well I decided to dig out some recipes, and some books and actually cook some of this. So instead of eating out this past Sunday, I had a "nimono(simmered food)-fest"! All these recipes are modifications of those found in various cookbooks I have.

Kiriboshi Daikon when rehydrated has a somewhat nutty taste, and a nice crunchy texture.

Kiriboshi-Daikon Ni
(Simmered Kiriboshi Daikon)

2 oz Kiriboshi Daikon
(Dried White Radish Strips)
3 Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms
3 Chikuwa (Broiled Fishcake)
1 Tb Toasted Sesame Seeds
1-2Tb Vegetable Oil
1/4 Tsp Dashi No-Moto (optional)
1/2 Cup water used for soaking Kiriboshi Daikon
1 Cup Water
2 Tb Sake
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce(not Kikkoman)
3-4 Tb Sugar
2 Tb Mirin

1 – Rinse the Kiriboshi-Daikon in cold water. Squeeze out excess water, and place in a bowl. Add water to just cover radish strips. Soak for 30-40 minutes

2 – Slice Shiitake Mushroom and Chikuwa into thin (1/8") slices.

3 – When Kiriboshi-Daikon is reconstituted squeeze out water, and cut into bite size strips if necessary.Set aside 1/2 cup of strained soaking liquid.

4 – Heat oil in a pot, add in order; the Chikuwa, Shiitake Mushroom, and the Kiriboshi Daikon, stir fry briefly using medium heat.

5 – Add Soaking Liquid and Water, and bring to a boil. Once a boil is reached add sake, mirin, and sugar, and simmer for 5 minutes.

6 – Add soy sauce and simmer until the liquid is almost completely absorbed.

7 – Sprinkle Sesame Seeds before serving.

Hijiki is the black colored dried seaweed that is often seen stuffed into Onigiri (Rice Balls), and is often used as garnish or as a side dish at "Asian-Fusion" restaurants. It is high in vegetable protein, calcium, and iron.

Hijiki Nimono
(Simmered Hijiki Seaweed)

1 oz Dried Hijiki Seaweed
1/3 Carrot sliced into thin "sticks"
1 Sheet Aburage (Thin Fried Tofu Sheets)
1-2 Tb Vegetable Oil
3/4 Cup Water
2 Tb Sake
2-3 Tb Mirin
3-4 Tb Sugar
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
Salt to taste

1 – Place Hijiki in a bowl, and rinse several times in cold water. Soak in cold water for 20-30 minutes until soft.

2 – Pour boiling water over Aburage to remove excess oil, and cut into thin slices.

3 – Drain Hijiki.

4 – Heat oil in a pot using medium heat. Add in the following order Carrot, Aburage, and Hijiki, and fry for 1-2 minutes.

5 – Add water and bring to a boil. Add sake, mirin, and sugar. Lower to a low simmer. When the liquid is almost absorbed add soy sauce and salt, stirring until almost absorbed.

Some notes; many times you’ll find this dish with Soybeans (Edamame), or cooked black beans, or topped with sesame seeds. You can also add Shimichi Togarashi (Japanese Chili Pepper Powder – actually "seven spice"…) for some zing. This dish tastes better the next day after flavors have had time to meld.

Niku tofu is a real homestyle dish. This version features Shirataki, often called "yam noodles", the noodle form of Konnyaku.

Niku Tofu
(Simmered Beef and Tofu)

1/2 Lb thinly sliced beef – sliced into bite sized slices
1 Block soft tofu
1 medium onion sliced
1-2 packages Shirataki (Yam noodles)
1 bunch green onions green part only sliced
1 Cup water
4 Tb Sugar
3 Tb Sake
3 Tb Mirin
1/4 Cup Soy sauce
Salt
1-2 Tb vegetable oil

1 – Rinse Shirataki under cold water. Then pour boiling water over shirataki to remove bitterness and smell (Shirataki has a very strong and unpleasant odor), rinse under cold water, and drain.

2 – Heat vegetable oil in a sauce pan or wok over medium heat. Fry the beef until slightly browned. Add the Shirataki and onion and fry.

3 – When ingredients are heated through add Water and bring to a boil. Add Sake, Mirin, Sugar, and Soy Sauce. Reduce to a simmer.

4 – Add tofu and mix in, being careful not to mash tofu. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

5 – Top with green onions before serving.

I had a blast juggling three "active" pots. I haven’t had so much fun since I worked as a cook in a drive-in as a teenager! In fact I decided to make me a bento, so I made my "Mama’s Eggs", basically a "rustic" Dashi-Maki Tamago (Rolled Egg Omelette):

I scramble three eggs, add green onion, furikake, and 1 Tb Kikkoman Soy sauce.

Made a pretty good bento with all of this:

Tomorrow it’s back to restaurants……