As in, yoso-silly, yoso-hungry, yoso-full, or best of all; mmm-delici-yoso!!!!! A San Diego based food and travel blog. An Ex-Pat Kama'aina and Friends explore food, restaurants, and travel from San Diego and points beyond.
So, right now…probably because of the recent heat, we’ve had quite a bounty of okra. The Missus requested a Chinese style cold side dish (Liangcai) to go along with some takeout we had from Village Kitchen. So, after looking over several recipesonline, I came up with something to our taste.
I’ve made it several times since. It’s fairly simple; just briefly poach the okra, then plunge into ice water to stop the cooking, then mix the sauce, drain the okra well, slice lengthwise and pour the sauce over.
Since the okra growing in our yard are of various sizes, I stack the cross sliced larger or fatter halves on the bottom and the smaller thinner slices on the top.
Chinese Style Spicy Garlic Okra
6 – 8 ounces of Okra rinsed Pot of water to blanch okra Bowl of ice water
2 Tb Avocado or Neutral Oil 1 Tb Sichuan Peppercorn Oil 1/3 Cup minced Garlic (yes, for real) 1-3 Red Chilies – I had Chile de Arbol growing in our yard Dash of White Pepper (optional)
3 Tb Soy Sauce (I used Kikkoman for this) 2 Tsp Dark Brown Sugar 1 Tsp Chinese Black Vinegar 1 Tsp Oyster Sauce 1 Tb Sesame Oil 2 Tb Scallions Sliced
Bring the pot of water to a boil
Once boiling, add okra and blanch for 2 minutes
Immediate drain the okra and place in ice water to stop cooking
In a jar or bowl, place minced garlic, chilies, and white pepper (if using)
In a small pot heat neutral oil and Sichuan Peppercorn oil until sizzling.
Pour sizzling oil over garlic mixture and combine
Add soy sauce, dark brown sugar, black vinegar, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and 1 Tb of scallions and mix well.
Drain okra well
Once okra is well drained and fairly dry, cut off tops and slice lengthwise.
Arrange okra on a plate and top with sauce and remaining Tb of scallions.
Enjoy your garlicky, mildly spicy visit to “neba-neba” land!
Recently, I saw some really nice looking watercress and decided to get it. It was very tender and super peppery-bitter. Good stuff, actually. Then I had to figure out what to do with it.
I saw a couple of recipes, like this one that utilized wasabi and thought it might be fun trying it out. I started out with less wasabi….I used paste, with just watercress, and slowly changed ratios and ended up adding cucumbers and tomatoes. Once I added onions….but heck no; it already more than pungent enough!
Also, I started with lemon juice, but settled for rice vinegar in the end. Also, things really came around when I added some dark brown sugar.
This version does a nice job of clearing those sinuses, but still have enough savory-sweet-sour flavors.
It’s been a nice side dish during the recent hot spell.
Watercress Salad with Wasabi Dressing
Salad: 3 ounces Watercress – Rinse and drain well. Trim long stems and cut into edible pieces if necessary 2 ounces Cucumbers cut into 1 – 1 1/2 inch sticks. 3 ounces Cherry Tomatoes (optional) – Sliced in halves/quarters
Dressing: 1 Tsp – 1 Tb Wasabi Paste – depending on your desire for pungent – sinus clearing heat. 2 Tb Neutral Oil – I used Avocado Oil 2 Tb Soy Sauce – I used Kikkoman for this 1 Tsp Dark Brown Sugar 1 Tb Rice Vinegar Dash of White Pepper (optional) Dash of Granulated Garlic (optional)
Combine vegetables and refrigerate.
Place dressing ingredients into a small jar.
Shake to mix well.
Place vegetables in a mixing bowl, add dressing, combine and coat the vegetables.
A bajillion posts ago, I mentioned seeing molokhia at Nijiya. Having never seen it offered in Japanese restaurants…at least as far as I can recall, I wondered what dishes it was used in. This year, upon seeing it again….well, I decided to buy a bunch and just go for it. Why were we so interested in this plant known as Jute Mallow? Well, it goes back to our visit to Tunisia. Where we came across a dish we loved:
“it was black and tarry looking and was in a container that looked like a flower pot. The flavor however was profound….rich, beefy with some heat, and a tongue coating texture that we found enjoyable. No one seemed to want to eat this stuff….in fact, the Chef de Cuisine came out to talk to us, just because he was happy to see folks enjoy this so much.”
It turned out to be molokhia. It had that thick, mucilaginous texture…like okra, tororo, or natto….the Japanese call the texture “neba-neba”, which we enjoy. After all, I grew up eating natto.
So, this year I just decided to finally buy some and figure out what to make after.
Molokhia originated in ancient Egypt according to what I’ve read. But how the heck did molokhia, known as moroheiya make it from there to Japan….oh-oh, looks like I was headed down that “rabbit hole”. So, after making Google my friend….I found a story about Japanese linguist Kaisuke Iimori, who was introduced to molokhia during a trip to Egypt and brought it to Japan in the 1980’s. Well, you know the Japanese and neba-neba, right? Plus, the leaves are packed with vitamins and health benefits, it is now put into the “superfood” category. Apparently, there’s even a Moroheiya Popularization Association in Japan!
After doing a bunch more Googling, I saw that molokhia seems to be mostly used in ohitashi. Basically, those side dishes where greens are blanched, then put into an cold water. After which excess water is squeezed out of the greens and a umami forward sauce is used to flavor it.
I went ahead and using one whole bunch of Molokhia made two different versions. One with my typical kurogomae sauce, which I’m now using with okra as well as kale. And my other recipe, which had evolved from using dashi and some other stuffs to using Kikkoman Kappou Sashimi Soy sauce which has both dashi and kombu in it.
The winner? Well, the version on the left. I’m guessing the Missus enjoys the super umami of the version with the Kappou Soy Sauce.
So, this has become a regular dish in the household…..for as long as Molokhia will be available at Nijiya!
A couple of notes – Kikkoman Kappou Soy Sauce can be found at Tokyo Central and Nijiya. I remove the molokhia leave from the stems. Blanching the leaves will start to make them “gooey”, so only blanch for 20 seconds or so. When squeezing out the water, you can stop when you start seeing all that lovely, slimy liquid start to be extruded.
Molokhia Ohitashi:
Ingredients:
2-3 ounces Molokhia leaves. Remove leaves from stems. 8 Cups water Ice water Katsuobushi
Sauce: 2-3 Tb Kikkoman Kappou Sashimi Soy Sauce 1 Tb Aloha or Yamasa Soy Sauce 1 Tb Rice Vinegar 1/2 Tsp Dark Brown Sugar 2 Tsp Ginger Juice – I grate ginger then press out the juice 1 Tsp Grated Garlic Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Rinse Greens
Add Kosher Salt to Water and bring to boil
Add greens and blanch for 20 seconds
Drain and place greens into ice water
Mix together 2Tb of Kappou Soy Sauce, Regular Soy Sauce, Dark Brown Sugar, and Rice Vinegar.
Add Ginger juice and garlic and combine well.
Taste and add more Kappou Soy Sauce and black pepper if needed.
Drain greens well and squeeze out excess water. Place Greens in a bowl.
Yes, prices are getting crazy these days. One thing the Missus has been enjoying with Her salads are smoked duck breasts. We’ve been getting them from the Cuisinery, but the prices for half a duck breast are like $18.95 now. We can get the same brand mail order from D’Artagnan, but it’s now crossing the $40 barrier for whole breasts…and then there’s the shipping. I’m sure we’ll order some when we make one of the $200+ orders, but for now, the Missus wanted me to find a solution.
Though these days, I basically follow “outlines” and techniques…like this one. The Missus wanted some smoked duck. I’ve made it now four times with adjustments for the Missus’s taste and preferences….so, I’ll basically list “steps”.
I’ll basically get the “Kamo” from Nijiya, usually runing from about 1/2 to 2/3 of a pound.
Then it’s all about “steps” for me.
Step 1 – The Cure:
I rinse then pat the duck breast dry. I then score and rub the breast with 1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt and 1/4 Tsp Dark Brown Sugar. I then let rest for 2-3 hours.
Step 2 – Seasoning:
Here’s where it gets interesting as their are quite a few choices. After making this a couple of times, I’ve hit upon the Missus’s preferences. I rinse off the duck. Pat dry, I’ve found that because of the curing, the Missus doesn’t want any more salt or sweet flavors….I did a light rub of Agave Syrup, but the Missus said it was too sweet. I do add fresh ground black pepper, a touch of dried thyme, a dash of granulated garlic.
Step 3 – Hot Smoking:
Currently, the Missus wants a more smokey flavor, so I’m using oak or hickory Cameron smoking “chips” (it’s really kinda like sawdust).
I use the standard technique. Leave the smoker 2/3 open over high heat until the whisps of smoke start appearing. I then close the cover and weight it down to shut it even more. Remember, this smoker is over 20 years old now. Once I really see smoke whisps leaking out and can even hear some sizzling of liquid coming out of the duck hitting the bottom liner, I turn the flame down to low.
After several tried, the Missus preferred the version where the duck is smoked for just 15 minutes. After which, I remove the smoker from the burner and let rest for 5 minutes.
Step 4 (optional) – Sear:
This is an optional step, but I’ve found that it does create a nice texture with regards to the skin and such. Once I remove the duck and put into a sauté pan with some duck fat and EVOO and sear/crisp for a few minutes until all the surface fat of the duck is rendered.
And then it’s ready for prime time….or at least for salads and charcuterie boards.
I’m still working on getting even more smoked flavor without compromising the texture that the Missus enjoys….but for now this is what works.
As you get older, do you find yourself eating more and more like your parents/grandparents? It came to me as I made us lunch the other day…..and no…sigh, the Missus cannot just eat Niku Doufu…She needs all those side dishes.
And while the takana (mustard greens) and kyuri (cucumber) asazuke are from the market. The one other item was not.
My grandparents loved bitter melon, at the age I was exposed to it….well, I hated it. When we lived in Kaimuki, our neighbors, the wife was Okinawan loved goya, and would give us goya and my mom, and later me; would make goya champuru…basically bitter melon and eggs. Being raised on a low income, it was a treat to have some Spam in it. They also gave us pickled bitter melon as well. Eventually, as I got older, I enjoyed it more, but still never really developed a taste for it until I was in my 30’s. Still, it wasn’t something I craved. And then we had our last trip “home”. My friends recommended a restaurant located on the second floor of McCully Shopping Center named Bozu. Yes, I know…waaaay behind on those posts!
Anyway, one of the dishes we ordered was the Pickled Bitter Melon.
And the Missus was smitten! We ended up have three orders of this!
Anyway, recently I’d been doing a bunch of pickling…mainly of stuff from the garden and I decided to try my hand at making Goya Tsukemono. I looked online and thru several of my cookbooks and after several tries found one that interested me in Machiki Tateno’s Japanese Pickled Vegetables. In the end, I used the recipe as an outline ingredient wise totally changing proportion and quantity. Not wanting to waste excess pickling liquid I fill the excess space with slices of daikon, which does well in this pickling solution as well as a few cloves of garlic.
Anyway, it’s a current favorite of the Missus. And now it seems to be getting a bit of play since it’s considered an important ingredient of “Blue Zone” diets. I dunno about that….we just think this tastes mighty good!
A couple of notes – I use the daikon and garlic to fill space after adding the bitter melon. I’ve cut down on the amount of dark brown sugar since the Missus enjoys more salty/bitter to sweet.
Goya Tsukemono (With daikon and garlic too) 1 – 7-8 oz Bitter Melon Boiling Water Slices of daikon (optional) 5-6 Cloves peeled garlic (optional)
2 dried chilies 1/2 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar 1/2 Cup Light Soy Sauce – I used Aloha Shoyu 1/3 Cup Dark Brown Sugar 2 Slices of Ginger
Heat a pot of water to a boil
Slice bitter melon in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and scrape off as much white fibers and matter as possible. Slice into 1/3 inch slices cross wise.
Use boiling water to sterilize pickle jar and also pour over bitter melon and drain.
Add pickling ingredients to a small pot and bring to a boil.
Add bitter melon slices to pickle jar. Fill excess with slices of daikon and garlic.
Add boiling pickling liquid to jar, let cool until warm. Then cover and refrigerate.
Wait 2-3 days before serving
If you try this recipe; let me know how it turns out!
Recently, the Missus has been wanting all those “comfort” type dishes. Like Niku Dofu.
Of course, it can’t be “JUST” xxxx dish. There has to be some “side dishes” as well. Which ends up looking like this.
And yes, the Okra Kurogamae are still in the game so to speak. But recently, the Missus who has been on a gardening thing got some kale seeds from the library and they’ve been growing like crazy. It’s surprisngly tender…thing is; we’re not quite sure what type of kale it is…maybe Brazilian or perhaps Portuguese Kale?
Not sure; but it’s quite tender. So, at one point I wondered how it would do using at Kurogomae type sauce and served like a fukusai? It’s a bit of a pain, but after a couple of tries, I got the ratio down.
Of course, you need to squeeze out all that liquid from the kale.
Though 5-6 ounces of kale will make only that serving you see above. And so; this ain’t no cheapie dish…but the Missus really enjoys it…for now… You can do this with spinach as well.
The main difference between this and the okra version is it does well with some acidic and pungent notes. Anyway, here goes….
Keru Kurogomae 5-6 ounces Tender Kale or Spinach 1 Tb Kosher Salt 8 Cups water Ice water
Sauce 4-5 Tb Black Sesame Powder 2 Tsp Sugar 2-3 Tsp Soy Sauce 2 Tsp Apple Cider or Rice Vinegar 1 Tb Sesame Oil 1-2 Tb Avocado or other neutral oil (optional) 1 clove garlic grated Fresh Ground Black Pepper to taste
Rinse Greens
Add Kosher Salt to Water and bring to boil
Add greens and blanch quickly
Drain and place greens into ice water – Mix together sesame powder and sugar – combine well.
Add soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil. – Check consistency. Add neutral flavored oil as needed to create an acceptable texture.
Add garlic
Taste and add fresh ground black pepper as desired.
Drain greens well and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
Chop kale into three pieces, then squeeze out excess liquid.
Separate kale leaves and mix into sauce. Coat well.
Refrigerate at least an hour before serving. And mix again before plating.
Top with sesame seeds (optional)
Funny thing. Just as this is kind of a mash-up; so is another dish that I’ve been making as well, using my base recipe for Niku Dofu and another traditional “old school” recipe I grew up eating. I’ll get that one done soon!
During our road trips to Mammoth and Tahoe (yes, we took several), the Missus started enjoying Wedge salads. Which was news to me since She had always scoffed at the use of iceberg lettuce…but I guess time changes everything, right?
So, a couple of months ago, out of the blue (cheese), the Missus tells me She wants “a wedgie”! Say what?!? I think something definitely got lost in translation there. Shades of Sam Woo the “Killer Whale”! What’s even worse is that I knew what She was asking for…and no, it wasn’t a “wedgie” ok? She obviously wanted a wedge salad. So, over the course of about six weeks, I made over a dozen of those things. Now of course, She’s moved on, but I thought I’d better write this recipe down in case She wants a wedgie ahem, a wedge salad again one of these days.
And then of course, this is what the salad looked like at the end of two weeks…….micro greens and sliced smoked duck breast…..and even more crumbled blue cheese topping the salad.
And then of course, She needed some “extras” to make it a “complete” meal.
A couple of notes; you’ll notice that the Missus wants lardons on Her salad; so I filter out the rendered bacon fat and add that to the dressing. Also, Maldon Smoked Salt does make a difference as well. As for the blue cheese; I try to go with something on the more pungent side of the scale. The mayo, sour cream, and buttermilk are all whole fat and organic.
Blue Cheese Dressing – makes approximately 1-1/3 cup of dressing
3 ounces Blue Cheese – and more to top the salad 1/3 cup Mayonnaise 1/3 cup Sour Cream 1/3 cup Buttermilk 2 Tb rendered bacon fat 1 Tb fresh squeezed lemon juice 1 Tb Red Wine Vinegar 1 tsp grated garlic Fresh ground black pepper, granulated garlic (optional), and Maldon Smoked Salt to taste
In a mixing bowl, crumble and mash blue cheese with buttermilk until it resembles curds
Add Sour Cream and Mayonnaise and mix well
Add lemon juice, vinegar, and grated garlic and mix
Taste and add black pepper, smoked salt, and granulaed garlic (if desired)
Several folks have been asking me if I still cook and stuffs….and yes I do; though it’s mostly about technique and doing stuff on the fly these days. Though I do have several recipes/”formulas” and I guess it’s past the time I should do posts on these.
Anyway, here’s an actual recipe that I created during Covid after working thru it several times. It’s become a favorite of the Missus’s coworkers (thus the trip to June Lake – which I did again this year to cook for them), our neighbor who is from the Islands, and several other folks. When I grill it at home, most of it is given away.
It’s a riff on classic flavors of my youth….like local kineteriyaki-char siu. It is kind of a pain in the butt to make; which is why I put off doing this for so long….I’m not sure folks would like to make this.
First off; the basic recipe is for about a pound-and-a-half of boneless/skinless chicken thighs. Second, I tenderize each piece of chicken with a mallet. Third, I portion out and divide the sauce…for marinating, basting, and on the side….cause people like to use it for all kines of stuffs.
The Missus likes it in salads….and also on grilled tofu, which I coat with olive oil and duck fat; then season with salt-pepper-soy sauce-five spice.
Most folks get something like this from me.
Anyway….dis’ not one tightwad recipe.
Also, it uses bottled hoisin sauce. Though it’s important to look at the ingredient list. For example.
Two Hoisin Sauces….made by the same company….turn the bottles around and check the ingredients.
I know, both get so much modified stuffs….but the one on the left uses Fermented Soybean Paste, which provides a deeper-richer flavor.
Anyway…..too much talkin’…..
Local Kine Char Siu Chicken – I usually make a double recipe of the sauce:
3/4 Cup Hoisin Sauce 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce – yes, I still use Aloha Shoyu 1/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar 1/4 Cup Agave Syrup 3 Tb Ketchup 3 Tb Shaoxing Wine 2-3 Cloves Garlic – minced or grated 1 Tsp Ginger Juice 1/2 – 1 Tsp Five Spice 1 1/2 Pounds Boneless-Skinless Chicken Thighs
Trim excess fat and connective tissue off chicken thighs
Tenderize with a mallet until uniform in thickness.
In a bowl, mix together Soy Sauce, Dark Brown Sugar, Ketchup, Shaoxing. Combine.
Add Hoisin Sauce and half the Agave Syrup mix well.
Add Garlic, Five Spice, and Ginger Juice – combine.
Taste with the tip of a chopstick – add the rest of Agave Syrup if necessary. Add more Five Spice and adjust other ingredients to taste (i.e. more garlic).
Once sauce is combined divide into two half portions.
Use one half of the sauce to coat and marinate the chicken. Make sure to coat well.
Divide the other half of the sauce into two equal portions.
Marinate at least 6 hours or overnight.
Grill the chicken. I use hardwood charcoal for a layer of flavor. I also use oak wood chips in a foil packet for an additional layer of flavor.
Use half of the reserved sauce for final basting.
The other half of the reserved sauce is placed into containers for dipping, pouring, or whatever the person wants
I know, kind of a lot of work but folks seem to like it!
I don't know if you've noticed. Many times, when we're having Chinese food whether at a restaurant or for takeout, we don't order vegetables. The reason for this is that the Missus has a hard time spending maybe over $15 for stir fried veggies. On most occasions we'll have leftovers and then I'll go ahead and stir fry veggies at home. I still have a Big Kahuna, my second one since 2005, this one goes to 65,000 BTU and is great for wok stir fries.
Or, as in the case of the item below, I'll go ahead and roast something in the air fryer…..sometimes I'll do both at the same time as doing the stir fry can take less than 2 minutes!
Anyway, the latest item was something I just kinda made up. The Missus really likes Caulilini, which is known here as Chinese Cauliflower. It's the type of cauliflower She grew up eating in China. Also known as Baby Cauliflower, it features thin green stems, is a bit sweeter, the florets are more loosely arranged. The Missus grew up eating cauliflower stir fried with tomato. I thought I'd try something interesting, knowing that She enjoys the flavor of cumin in dishes like BOZi Ran Yang Rou (Cumin Lamb). I thought the P-Cresol-ish cumin would go nicely with cauliflower and it did.
Because the quantity of cauliflower varies, I'll just give you a photo of the ingredients (minus the cauliflower).
There's a certain sequence that I've been using for making this.
Air Fryer Cumin Cauliflower 1 – After rinsing, prepping, and draining the cauliflower pour a few tablespoons of avocado, or any other neutral oil into a mixing bowl. Add cauliflower and combine. 2 – Add Sichuan Peppercorn oil to coat and White Pepper 3 – Add Cumin, Chinese Five Spice, and Granulated Garlic – I used to use fresh shopped garlic but it burned too easy. Mix well. 4 – Taste to make sure the cumin flavor comes thru clearly 5 – Add about a tablespoon of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of chili crisp, I found that Lau Gan Ma works the best. 6 – Stir and mix well to coat. 7 – Taste and adjust seasonings and add smoked salt. 8 – Roast in 450° Air Fryer for 12-14 minutes.
The time the Missus said She wanted me to grill some Shishamo:
So, I went to grill some veggies and also some of my Local Kine Chashu Chicken for the Missus when She asked me to grill some Shishamo for Her. I thought this kind of strange, since we'd sometimes do it on the Konro, but She wanted it grilled….
So, I prepped some.
When I finished, I found out who it was actually for. Guess who got Shishamo?
I actually posted about it on Instagram and some folks found it funny…..
Pliny the Elder at Bay Hill Tavern:
Earlier in the week, the Missus wanted some tacos from the Tacos La Chorreada Truck. So JJ and I walked on over, placed my order and decided to head on over to Bay Hill Tavern for a cerveza until my tacos were ready.
I was given the "specials" menu to look over and was pleasantly surprised.
Man, they had Pliny the Elder on tap! When was the last time I had that?
My goodness….it was so good. I'm hoping they still have it the next time I visit. If you plan on dropping by specifically for a PtE, perhaps you may want to call first as I'm sure they'll soon run out – 619-326-8828.
Bay Hill Tavern 3010 Clairemont Drive San Diego, CA 92117 Current Hours: Mon – Thurs 11am – 9pm Friday 11am – 10pm Saturday 10am – 10pm Sunday 10am – 9pm
And finally……
My latest "ear worm":
I'm sure this might be before your time, but someone mentioned the late Wili Moku to me recently. He was the DJ I always listened to on KKUA in the 80's (before they became Public Radio – hey you rememba the Home Grown album?)
"I just want a simple salad…." Ah yes, the phrase that will send shivers down my spine. Although, I guess the end product does look like a simple salad.
It does look quite simple, right?
But, if you stage all the ingredients, it looks like this.
And then of course the there's the preferences….."I want beets, but no red beets…they taste like dirt". "No orange carrots….it's so mundane…." And the biggest problem with the salad above? "I don't want grated beets or carrots, it makes them mushy….you need to do that spiral slicing thing." So, we got a spiral slicer.
Today's salad turned out looking like this.
With the beets and carrots looking like this.
And instead of croutons, I reheated some left over falafel from Ibis Market in the Air Fryer.
As for the dressing….well, that's evolved as well. The Missus wanted something similar to what we get at the Turquoise Room in Winslow, a Tahini based dressing. So, I initially started with the standard vinaigrette ratio on acid to EVOO, but it turns out the Missus enjoys a thinner, lighter dressing, with a fresher acidity from fresh squeezed lemon juice, with just a touch of sweetness. Vinegar was eliminated, so I can't call it a vinaigrette anymore. The Missus enjoys savory-nutty-sourness from Tahini, so I slowly increased the amount and came up with this base recipe.
Sorry, my photo of the dressing ain't very pretty.
It's the Missus's current favorite dressing and I'm sure I'll be making this quite a bit as the weather warms up. Think of it as a base and adjust as necessary.
Tahini – Lemon Dressing – Makes approximately 3/4 cup 1/4 Cup Tahini 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 3 Tb Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice 2 Tsp Maple or Agave Syrup 1 Clove Garlic grated or finely minced Zest of 1/2 Lemon Sea Salt and Black Pepper to Taste
– Whisk Tahini, EVOO, Lemon Juice, and Maple or Agave Syrup together until smooth. – Add Garlic and Lemon Zest – Taste and adjust sweet-sour profile to your taste – Add salt and pepper to taste
