tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83985365157883847702024-02-10T13:49:33.443-08:00Pacific Rim BBQBridging the Pacific with BBQBobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-1221728322037202372014-08-16T18:55:00.000-07:002014-08-16T18:55:15.627-07:00Hatch Chiles and Chicken TacosSticking with this side of the Pacific Rim, it is Hatch chile season, and for many, these are special peppers. Although the actual variety of the pepper is not distinct, the region of Hatch results in a chile that is revered amongst chile eaters. I enjoy the complexity and rich flavor, and will grab a few, fire roast them and freeze them for use throughout the year. But, since I was doing that, I opted to go ahead and prepare one for dinner as well.<br />
<br />
I used some Mary's chicken thighs, partially butterflied them and marinated them in a simple citrus based mixture.<br />
<br />
Simple Citrus based marinade:<br />
Juice from 1 lemon and 1 lime<br />
2 tablespoons mild vinegar<br />
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro<br />
1 tablespoon Lucky Dog Green Label hot sauce <br />
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger<br />
1/2 teaspoon sugar <br />
1/4 small onion, sliced <br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
Just mix all of this together, and add in the chicken thighs. Marinade for 4 hours.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Raw! </i></span></div>
<br />
I had the kettle fired up with a full load of lump charcoal, it was very hot, and the chiles took no time at all to blister and start to peel. Pulled them and throttled back the kettle to grilling hot. At no time did I do that hand test, it was just hot. In fact, while turning the chiles, the tongs I was using became dropping on the ground hot even though I had BBQ gloves on.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>No human flesh was harmed, okay, a little was </i></span></div>
<br />
From the time the chicken was ready, I had decided to save the chicken skins, and these were placed on the fire. It was still ripping and the chicken skins fried in their own fat, chicken cracklins! The chicken was placed on the edge of the kettle and grilled until done. I was shooting for the minimum for chicken, right around 155°F, as I intended to reheat the chicken prior to eating.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/cracklin_zpsbcd3b115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/cracklin_zpsbcd3b115.jpg" height="258" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Note pepper and chicken craklin' </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Look at those thighs</i></span></div>
<br />
The chicken was coarsely chopped and reheated along with the cracklin's, this was then placed on the tortillas along with some avocado salsa, the julienned pepper and a little cheese.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Almost there </i></span></div>
<br />
And finally a little snipped cilantro to freshen the dish and dinner is served. I opted to drink some sake straight from the bottle for this one, all that Fusion cuisine and such...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Ta da! </i></span></div>
<br />Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-20079468127481027732014-08-09T18:39:00.001-07:002014-08-09T18:39:44.346-07:00Tsukune with Pirikara and TomatoesSo, a Facebook group I am in has issued a challenge, to cook a dish with ground chicken, tomatoes, peanut butter and cayenne pepper. Simple, and the obvious choice would be to go Thai with it, or perhaps something more fusion. I decided to stick with something more along the Japanese lines that I am thinking of moving towards. Ground chicken really says Tsukune to me, Tsukune literally means 'to knead', but, in the world of cooking, it most often refers to ground chicken cooked 'yakitori' style on skewers over a Konro. I decided to riff off of that, by cold smoking a chicken breast, then grinding and making the Tsukune, and frying them into an appetizer. I wanted to make sure the texture was light, as opposed to grilling, the frying would be best with a fluffy meatball and a crispy panko texture.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>What I ended up with </i></span></div>
<br />
Once the chicken was cold smoked, I removed it from the smoker, and placed it back into the refrigerator for 4 hours to let the smoke settle. I also smoked the skin and bones, which was simmered to create a stock, along with celery, red pepper and onion trimmings.<br />
<br />
<u>Tsukune Chicken:</u><br />
2/3 pound skinless chicken breast, cold smoked<br />
1 teaspoon each grated ginger<br />
1 teaspoon finely minced Mitsuba<br />
2 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs <br />
1/2 teaspoon lemon rind<br />
1 teaspoon sake<br />
1/8 teaspoon cornstarch<br />
1/8 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice<br />
<br />
Cube chicken into 1/2" chunks and combine with all ingredients except for bread crumbs. Process in pulses in food processor until chicken forms a medium textured paste, add bread crumbs and combine. Form into balls about 1" to 1-1/4" in diameter and chill to harden. Note that the mixture ios very soft and will slump if not very cold. Once chilled, coat with egg wash and panko, let sit in refrigerator until cold, while heating oil. Fry at 275°F until golden brown. Much hotter and the center will not cook, and this is chicken, it needs to cook.<br />
<br />
<u> Pirikara Pickles:</u><br />
These are nothing more than salt, sugar and cayenne pepper powder tossed with cucumbers, and then allowed to sit in refrigerator overnight. The cucumbers remain crispy, but, take on a sublte sweet-hot flavor along with the cucumber flavor.<br />
<br />
<u>Tomato Pickles:</u><br />
Peeled 6 grape tomatoes, then prepare a vinegar and sugar mixture that consisted of:<br />
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar<br />
1 teaspoon sugar syrup<br />
1/2 teaspoon sea salt<br />
1 teaspoon shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)<br />
<br />
Soak peeled tomatoes in the vinegar solution overnight. The tomatoes will have a sweet and sour flavor and have a fresh tomato texture. Obviously the fresher the tomato, the better, but, the harder to peel. It's worth it, I actually did 12 of them, so I have a few extra.<br />
<br />
Now, if there was one element of this cook that was going to be problematic, it was the peanut butter, and surely, not a typical ingredient, Thai would have been so much easier. In any event...<br />
<br />
Peanut Miso Sauce:<br />
1 cup chicken stock<br />
2 tablespoons peanut butter, smooth<br />
1 tablespoon shiro miso<br />
1/2 teaspoon sugar syrup or honey<br />
1/2 teaspoon Togarashi oil<br />
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper<br />
1/4 teaspoon sudachi juice <br />
sake, not sure how much, a healthy splash<br />
<br />
Heat it all over low heat until it starts to combine, raise heat to medium and whisk until smooth and slightly thickened. Remove and use quickly. It will thicken on cooling. You will want to adjust sweetness and heat to reflect the peanut butter and miso flavors. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Pirikara, tomatoes and peanut-miso sauce </i></span></div>
<br />
And the texture was excellent, I think just the touch of baking powder and lemon juice aided that texture greatly. The cornstarch improves the texture of the chicken as well.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Fluffy Chicken Balls </i></span></div>
<br />
These totally worked out as a riff on the traditional and the smoke, citrus and even the peanut butter worked well together. The cayenne which would have seemed likely to over-power the other elements worked to create a subtle and somewhat random piquant quality to the dish.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-33884224099317323122014-02-13T18:44:00.001-08:002014-02-13T18:44:22.178-08:00Tofu thoughts<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I was asked about tofu, and I know that many of my BBQ
friends generally eschew tofu as a tasteless and horrifically textured food
item. However, for many of the world’s population, tofu forms a staple of their
diet. It is actually rather a versatile ingredient once it is understood.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
First thing to understand is that fresh tofu should
always have a slightly sweet taste, tofu that has no taste is old, tofu that
tastes sour is spoiled. There are some more advanced tofu preparations that
require some getting used to, such as fermented tofu and stinky tofu, I highly
recommend avoiding these unless you have a strong affection for powerful
flavors and interesting textures. Tofu will have a very faint aroma of beans,
however, unless you are eating it cold, that aroma is a non-factor.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
There are three textures that are commonly found in most Asian
stores, ranging from soft to firm. The soft tofu is very similar to a soft
custard, and is most often eaten plain, or in preparations that do not require
a lot of handling. The medium texture is probably the most common in Japanese
cooking and many other Asian kitchens, it is rather unique in its texture,
being firm to the touch, but yielding easily to the bite, Finally, there is
firm, which is much like a firm cheese. This is often the most commonly found
tofu in American stores, as it mimics cheese, and this is how most Americans
have learned to use tofu. There are also pressed tofu’s, these are often found
as flavored tofus, and are the most common style made in American companies,
these are meant to mimic the texture of meat.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The idea of using tofu as a mimic of cheese or meat is
what had given tofu such a bad name for many people who were not raised on
tofu. It is a terrible substitute for cheese, as it lacks the fermented
qualities that cheese has, and it truly does not have the taste or structure of
meat. Tofu is at it’s best, and it’s most common best, when used as an extender
for a dish that if flavored with other flavor elements. Using the right texture
for a given dish really makes eating tofu a much more enjoyable dish.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
My favorite use is as a cooling element is spicy stir-fry
dishes, which are heavily seasoned with chiles and pork or lamb. The use of a
medium tofu allows the tofu to not break down and that allows it to function as
a cooling element in the dish. Most Asian dishes are based upon balance, for a
hot element, a cooling or numbing element is added. The most famous of these
dishes in Ma Bo Dofu, which is an incredibly hot yet flavorful dish from
Sichuan Province in China, which balances heat from chiles, with numbing from
Sichuan pepper corns, it uses tofu to carry the flavor, while providing a
cooling texture. Taking hints from that, you can build any number of dishes in
which you build strong flavors, and counterpoint those flavors with the
tofu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my favorite quick uses is
to use some chopped up smoked chicken or pork, do a quick stir-fry with some greens,
like Swiss Chard, then use a spicy BBQ sauce, some sugar and a little soy sauce
to create a little interest, tossing in the tofu to function not unlike
potatoes might. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
To my sense, the key to making tofu more palatable is to
understand that it is its own type of food, not a substitute for cheese, meat
or vegetable, but, as a means to balance and enhance a dish. I highly encourage
using the freshest product you can find and taking a small taste before using
it. It should have a faint sweet taste.</div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-15338081970871479692014-01-26T19:30:00.002-08:002014-01-26T19:30:28.984-08:00Roasted Chicken with Sudachi butterJust discovered that a local store carries my favorite chickens, they are frozen, but, from this farm, I am willing to eat frozen birds. A whole small chicken set me back $4.00. This was such a great deal, roasting a bird on the kettle is one of the best ways to get a low cost meal. <br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickbutter_zps3d6a0d72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickbutter_zps3d6a0d72.jpg" height="266" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The butter and herbs </i></span></div>
<br />
I made a compound butter from some unsalted butter, some minced chives, chopped flat leaf parsley and some garlic, crushed with salt. No measurements, but, that picture sort of show what I did. This was all made into a compound butter to which 1 tablespoon od Sudachi citrus juice was added. The Sudachi is a very aromatic citrus from Japan and adds a great aroma, as well as acidity to any dish.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickentruss1_zps4c974731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickentruss1_zps4c974731.jpg" height="266" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Trussed bird </i></span></div>
<br />
There are a lot of ways to cook a whole bird, of late, a lot of people are into slashing the meat, or spatch-cocking (butterfly) the bird. For me, trussing is the tried and true method, it takes little times once you've done a couple and will result in a more juicy bird. Because the bird is tied into a lump, cooking is more even and the meat remains very juicy. I do place seasonings into the cavity of the bird and tie it to minimize any openings. In this case, I also added compound butter under the breast skin and into the leg joint, this is done just by loosening the skin and working the butter under it. I had a small silicone spatula for this, it works great.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickrub1_zps2bfc8738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickrub1_zps2bfc8738.jpg" height="266" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Rubbed and resting </i></span></div>
<br />
Decided to mix up a couple of west coast BBQ favorites for this cook, equal amounts of Simply Marvelous Cherry rub and The Rub Company Original BBQ flavor, as well as some fresh medium grind black pepper. This was patted on, then left to rest in the fridge for 2 hours. When it was time to cook, I loaded a couple of pounds of lump, fired the kettle up with all vents wide open and let it rip. When the thermometer I stuck in the vent read well past 400°F, I placed the chicken in there, butt to the fire, along with my new mini-cast iron skillet full of potatoes and compound butter for Potatoes Anna. This was allowed to cook for 30 minutes, then the lower vents were closed by half, the chicken rotated 180° and left to cook for another 20 minutes. Then the chicken was removed and tented glazed with a little of the compound butter and foil tented for 30 minutes.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickdone1_zpsc426b5e7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickdone1_zpsc426b5e7.jpg" height="273" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rested and ready </span></i></div>
<br />
Upon carving, it was clearly juicy and done just to the point where there was no pink at the joint. The skin rendered nicely and the aroma was what I was hoping for. When you loosen the skin, and add the butter, and with the high heat, the skin will crisp up nicely, and even after the rest, it remained delicate and crisp. I was really happy with the texture and flavor.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickboard1_zps4a507180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickboard1_zps4a507180.jpg" height="270" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Artsy breast shot </i></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickboard2_zps028a4521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickboard2_zps028a4521.jpg" height="266" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Artsy leg shot </i></span></div>
<br />
Some steamed broccoli, and the Potatoes Anna, which are just some potatoes severely caramelized with butter and herbs, and you have a fine dinner.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/tateranna_zps797bfd9e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/tateranna_zps797bfd9e.jpg" height="257" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Potatoes Anna </i></span></div>
<br />
And really, the measure of a good kitchen in my mind, every cook should be measured by their roast chicken. One of the most simple dishes, and hence the challenge.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/platedchick_zps987a68ff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/platedchick_zps987a68ff.jpg" height="286" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Yes, that was dinner </i></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickplateclose_zps329f311d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickplateclose_zps329f311d.jpg" height="258" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Texture shot </i></span></div>
<br />
I am really happy with the texture of the breast, it was quite moist, dense but tender to the tooth. A very satisfying cook. No sauce was needed, this was great chicken.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-70631376966031798882013-10-26T22:08:00.002-07:002013-10-26T22:08:54.278-07:00Mizutaki of a sortsAfter enough time, of eating ridiculous food, it was time to make something a little more homey. And since I was going by the Japanese food store, I stopped in to grab a few items. Mizutaki was on my mind, this is a fairly simple dish, that ends up being quite a bit more than one might think, for a boiled dinner. I secured some veggies, and some shaved pork loin. I figured that along with my staples of shiromiso, shoyu, rice vinegar and rice, and I would be in business.<br />
<br />
The vegetables were an odd blend, basically what looked good at the market. Some Nappa cabbage, some green onions, some sweet peppers, and some Maitake mushrooms (Hen of the Woods). These were simply broken down into small chunks that would be easily handled with hashi.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/veggies_zps5e71ee55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/veggies_zps5e71ee55.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The veggie players </i></span></div>
<br />
The pork was rinsed, which aids in separating the very thin slices. And yes, I could have sliced them myself, but, this was easier. The meat would be added last, and one of the beauties of shopping at the Japanese food store, is that they have small chunks of beef fat, wrapped up for sale, that I was able to use, in a manner similar to Sukiyaki, to grease the pan.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/buta_zpsd7c136aa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/buta_zpsd7c136aa.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Shaved pork loin, sure, I could have done this by hand</i></span></div>
<br />
The pan duly greased, the scallions were quikly fried, as well, the stems of the nappa cabbage. When that was all about ready, I added the rest of the veggies for just a quick few minutes, then drizzled about 1/2 teaspoon of shoyu and a sprinkle of sugar, over the veggies, then poured water, just plain water over the entire pan until everything was covered.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/rawmizu_zpsdc594067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/rawmizu_zpsdc594067.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Seconds before the water </i></span></div>
<br />
Once the water is coming to a simmer, the veggies will wilt, and the pork will cook very quickly. Don't want to simmer for more than a few minutes. This would be complimented with a dipping sauce, and I am not at all sure this is traditional, although it was for my family, consisting of mayonnaise, shiro miso, rice vinegar, shoyu and I add some rayu (I use a Togarashi pepper blend spice infused sesame oil). This is about equal parts of the mayo and miso, with just a dash of the other ingredients to smooth things out. I decided to serve this with a chawan of Hijiki-flavored rice.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/mizuset_zps20916610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/mizuset_zps20916610.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Din-din! </i></span></div>
<br />
Oh, and those noodles, those are from a little experiment which worked out great. I tried making my own udon, which worked out fantastically. More on that later.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-63973603405382451252013-09-21T17:32:00.002-07:002013-09-21T17:32:51.838-07:00Cooking for a CauseI don't much cook at a commercial scale anymore, and every once in a while, I get to revisit the long lost skill set and experience of working over a large, hot, stove for a few hours, just for kicks. Today, was one of those days. The church I grew up in, does a few fund raisers every year, and today and tomorrow, they are doing what they call Choir Blast, where the youth and adult choirs sing and entertain folks. And then there are the food sales, the gospel is free, but, you gotta pay for the SPAM musubi.<br />
<br />
In my case, I was asked to help with some kitchen work, as many of the regulars are either in the choir, or couldn't make it. Naturally, I said no. Then ended up going and helping Reverend Naomi despite that, as apparently she and I have a totally different understanding of my saying no to her. And so, I was tasked with cooking the yakisoba, which would be served in Bento-style boxes. This means warm, not hot, and that is a hard sell with fried noodles. Plus, a brand new pan, one equipment I have not used, and noodles that are the hardest to use for this purpose (despite what the label says). So, an 8-burner Wolf Commercial range, nice, with an 8" high, and 12" wide ledge built for the fact that everyone else that uses this stove is under 5'-2" tall. So far, by back is okay, but, reaching over that ledge, hmmmm...if I am going to do this more, we need to see about moving that thing.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/hachimaki_zpse12de0fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/hachimaki_zpse12de0fb.jpg" width="306" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Yes, I wore a hachimaki </i></span></div>
<br />
It was hot, as are all commercial stoves when going full blow, and I prefer to cook full blow when I can. So, a hachimaki was fashioned, as I forgot a cap, my toque would be a little over-the-top, and let's face it, I rock a headband. The other beauty of this, is that as the celebrity cook, all of the prep was done, all of the mis was done, all I had to do was cook. Easy job, if a little toasty.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/onions1_zpsfac42c2c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/onions1_zpsfac42c2c.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Brand Spanking New </i></span></div>
<br />
Ever cook in a brand new, uber-shiny pan? Truly, I hate it, I much prefer my oddly greasy, well seasoned and worn out looking pans, as I know they cook with little stick. This thing was so new, and yet, here we are, several pounds of onions to saute, then many more pounds of cabbage, and then carrots. Prepare the chicken bits, along with a tare for flavor. It all goes along so swimmingly.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/vegetables1_zpsf5516ba9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/vegetables1_zpsf5516ba9.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Veggies </i></span></div>
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There were actually four service tubs of vegetables and three huge colanders of noodles, all needing to be combined in my brand spanking new pan, sticking like duct tape every step of the way. One of the problems with this all, is that since these were to be served Bento-style, the noodles had to be lower in grease than normal, and a new pan wants more grease. Still, there was the job to do. Frying up the overall dish in 8 batches, things moved along nicely, with the final result being not too bad.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/yakisoba1_zps30cae13a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/yakisoba1_zps30cae13a.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Done and ready for packing </i></span></div>
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My schedule goal was to have it all done by 3:00 p.m. for packing and sale. I hit that with about 5 minutes to spare, and things were looking good for all. And I did manage to do this, managing a few different pots, with just two grabs of a hot oven door, three scalding splashes of water onto my forearm, two dips of my hand into the boiling water and maybe three incidents of grabbing a very hot handle. Not so bad really. I have some chops still, I think. Incidentally, for those wondering, it was all kept very hot, well above Safe-serv standards. (I found myself thinking "I could totally do a ramen pop-up out of this kitchen")<br />
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And why would I do this anyways, it's not like I am all that religious, sort of religious, well, religious at all, okay, I am amazed the windows don't blow out of the chapel when I enter the church. But, I grew up in this building, a lot of who I am came from the people who are a part of this church, and who loved this old institution. They are the only people who are not family, who can call me Bobby and I will answer. And if they call, I will answer, as in the end, it isn't about the building, the Book or even about the food, it is about the people and what they mean to me.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-79353786763791780632013-08-29T21:27:00.001-07:002013-08-30T08:06:11.555-07:00Chicken Curry on the GrillWanted to do a cook that took a few of my current interests and combined them into one cook. In this case, a peek at a traditional Japanese food, a more popular street food and a little grilling along the way. The end result, some good chicken curry, one of the most popular street and diner foods in Japan, and something I grew up with.<br />
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The first thing, was to get a little meat preparation done, so I could create a flavorful base for my curry sauce. Sure, the simplest thing would have been to toss a couple of S&B curry blocks into some water, but, well, blaaaa!<br />
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Skinned some chicken thighs, anyone who does competition chicken BBQ would recognize this unappetizing stuff. Oddly trimmed and naked chicken thighs and scraped skin. Yum!<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/thighs_zpse73410b7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/thighs_zpse73410b7.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Skinned, trimmed and defatted </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Defatted and trimmed </i></span></div>
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There were bones and wings, these were to be grilled until browned. Now, I know that many folks think, why would you use wings for curry stock, because, wings are densely packed with connective tissue, the dark meat lends flavor, and with small mass and large surface area, it is the fastest and most useful cut for making stock. The gelatin release alone, makes these ideal for uses where a highly rendered stock is desired (such as in soup dumplings).<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/wings_zpsf243851b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/wings_zpsf243851b.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Must. Not. Eat. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Roasty bones </i></span></div>
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I would have liked a little more color, but, I ran out of charcoal, and time, so this had to do. The bones had plenty of char and smoke, as did the wings, which, to be honest, were hard not to eat. These were fully seasoned, having gotten a rub of Simply Marvelous Sweet and Spicy before hitting the fire. Then into the stock pot.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/broth_zps052b2bb7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/broth_zps052b2bb7.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Chicken Soup </i></span></div>
Just three cups of water, the three wings and three roasted thigh bones, then a sheet of konbu, some cilantro, onions, carrots, shoyu and one clove of garlic. I added a pinch of salt to the stock, this is really a necessity. After a 20 minute steep, the konbu was removed and a vigorous boil was started. I reduced it to a rolling simmer, adding water to maintain 3 cups total liquid. After 15 minutes, I removed one cup, to fortify the water for the barley. Pearl barley was to be the starch, and it requires a 45 minute boil for the 2/3 cup of dried barley I had. With two cups water and one cup stock, the barley was boiled to al dente, and chilled for later. The stock took two hours, then was chilled and defatted.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/shishiito_zps97307b57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/shishiito_zps97307b57.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Grilled Shishito Peppers </i></span></div>
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The peppers were grilled, to add a bitter component to the final dish. Japanese style curry is a sweet/piquant affair, and the takuan that traditionally accompanies the dish is also sweet. These peppers have a mild, actually non-existent heat, but, a great bitter/herbal note.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>English Peas </i></span></div>
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I found some local English peas, which were a surprise in the store, these are so much better than frozen or canned. And Japanese curry really needs them. I was happy to get these, as they add a much needed texture that canned or frozen just lacks. I added these about 10 minutes before serving, just to heat through, the stove wasn't even on.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/grilledchicks_zps2db0ed02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/grilledchicks_zps2db0ed02.jpg" width="400" /> </a> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Grilled over oak lump and apple wood </i></span></div>
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The chicken was brined in a simple and light brine consisting of 3 cups water, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and 1 tablespoon of maple sugar. This was allowed to brine for 4 hours. It was far less salty than most brined chickens, not even as salty as a store bought chicken. The flavor of the maple was there, my plan for a Vermont Curry knock-off was Golden (you would have to be a fan of S&B curry to get that).<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The finished curry sauce, with peas, potatoes, carrots </i></span></div>
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I put the chicken from the wings back into the sauce, and heated through, adding some cornstarch to thicken. The peas were added last. Slicing of the chicken from the grill and final assembly...oh, I forgot to mention, I made a quick tempura batter from 1/2 cup ice water, 1/8 cup each of AP flour and cornstarch, and fried the skins, strips of skin actually. I ended up only using one skin, I mean, who needs all that fat, and tasty, tasty, fried skin. The bowl was filled with the barley, which I reheated with some finely diced onion and celery, as well as some left over chicken stock.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/bowled1_zpsa1f6e08a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/bowled1_zpsa1f6e08a.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Garnished with tempura skin, takuan, grilled peppers </i></span></div>
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A note about barley, as you are probably wondering about that. Although the Japanese diet is nearly synonymous with rice, and for most these days, sushi rice, in fact, rice has been a pricey commodity, and was not always available to all of the people in Japan. The milled and polished rice was a luxury for many, and impossible luxury for quite a few. The use of barley, either rolled or milled, was common for the lower classes in Japan. Many dishes, such as barley and rice, or barley tea survive in modern Japanese diets, but, at one time, barley was the staple for the poor.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/bowled2_zps47a30abe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/bowled2_zps47a30abe.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>de Mille moment </i></span></div>
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In fact, barley adds a wonderful toothsome texture to this dish. I have always loved the addition of barley to soups and rice, and this 'throw back' was quite welcome. I try to add dimensions to every element of a dish, and barley work beautifully for this. It has a very low glycemic index in the body. It has been shown to aid in lowering blood pressure, lowering serum lipids and aiding in dietary control. Not at all a bad option.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Yeah, I know, that is fried chicken skin on top, probably negates the barley benefits completely.</i></span><br />
<br />Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-2328961795062348462013-08-26T14:03:00.002-07:002013-08-26T14:03:37.495-07:00The Bacon Tomato SandwichI wait all year for these, as I really only like them when I have grown the tomato. Even the store bought Frou-frou tomatoes seem to lack something compared to the one's I can grow on my own. And since it has been over 3 years since I actually planted a tomato patch, this was a great treat. Shown here, are a Brandywine Sudduth's and a Berkeley Tie-dye tomato.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/maters_zps69156ad6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/maters_zps69156ad6.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Brandywine Sudduth's (l.), Berkeley Tie-dye (r.) </i></span></div>
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A couple of side notes, I have grown the Brandywine several times in my backyard, and it's reputation as one of the best tasting tomatoes around has been sorely missed by me. It was never a good tomato, but, since I was planting my front yard, I gave it a shot, and it has been quite good. The Berkeley Tie-dye is a particular favorite of mine, as I was friends with Brad Gates (back when I was far more active as a gardener)(who am I kidding, I have never been an active gardener) at the time he developed the tomato and was fortunate enough to be one of the people who got an early taste of the new variety. It killed me this year, soooo slow. The first one to set a fruit, it took months to ripen. That is the real color, no enhancement, it is one striking tomato.<br />
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Anyways, here they are sliced and waiting for the bread to toast up and the bacon to crisp.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/maters2_zps3943f631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/maters2_zps3943f631.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Brandywine Sudduth's (l.), Berkeley Tie-dye (r.) </i></span></div>
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Beautiful beefsteak type locules, I should have saved seed, but, I ate them. These slices were joined by some Neuske's bacon, allegedly and arguably the best bacon you can get. It is really quite good. I found some 'brown and serve' Ciabatta buns at the grocery store, that really offer a great fresh baked texture. And I used some frou-frou mayonnaise from cold-expeller pressed oil. It does taste good, especially with several grinds of fresh black pepper and a little smoked Maldon salt.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/sandwich_zps6e6f022c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/sandwich_zps6e6f022c.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The sandwiches </i></span></div>
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Realistically, the only reason I grow tomatoes anymore is for the sandwiches and the occasional pasta dish. I am most definitely happy with how this turned out.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-56299821710236828632013-08-21T12:15:00.000-07:002013-08-21T12:15:11.048-07:00Yakitori DayIt was moving day, my friends were moving in to the new family home. And what is the best thing to do on moving day? Why, invite a bunch of folks over for a BBQ. In this case, on the brand spanking new Konro that nobody has ever cooked on.<br />
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Ingredients were secured, or brought from home. The overall them, was to do some Japanese style grilling, and since this is sort of my area of expertise, largely by default that it is what I grew up with, I secured this stuff.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/ingredient1_zpse6c2c571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/ingredient1_zpse6c2c571.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Groceries</span></i></div>
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Above, of most importance, is one very fresh sardine, two very fresh Aji Mackerel, some Prime+ Black Angus ribeye, some Duroc Pork belly, Monterey squid, octopus tentacle and some cookies. Oddly, there are two items, that did not get eaten in that pile, a package of Kurobuta Pork sausages and a package of Japanese King Trumpet mushrooms. I can't believe I forgot about them.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/ingredient2_zpsd4969314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/ingredient2_zpsd4969314.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Other Stuff </i></span></div>
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The flavorings, that are what will be used to create various tare and sauce combinations. My family often joke that there are basically three flavors in Japanese cooking, shoyu, sugar and fish. That isn't true, of course, but, there is a little truth in humor. In this case, I made a simple dashi of katsuoboshi, smoked dried bonito flakes, and konbu, in this case, sun dried 'seaweed'. Actually, konbu is kelp, a large, leafy algae, common to all marine environments. The shoyu I chose was Marukin Shiboritate Nama shoyu, I really love the strong fermented aroma and complex taste of this shoyu. This is an everyday shoyu, and something that is easily affordable. Also in that picture of some interest, is the shiro miso, some Yuzu hot sauce, some Togarashi oil and rice wine vinegar. There were limes, lemons and some yuzu juice as well. I looked all over for sudachi and yuzu, not to be found this time.<br />
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I should probably explain, to my understanding, what a Konro is. Below is a picture of a konro (cone-row). In this case, with roasted potatoes and eggplant on the grates.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/solanums_zps97111ad7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/solanums_zps97111ad7.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Konro </i></span></div>
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Often called a hibachi, rarely called a shichirin, this is actually a konro. What we in the United States know as a Hibachi, is actually a form of konro. A true hibachi is a wooden box, with a ceramic or iron insert, that was used to heat the house with a small fire. These were very much like room heaters and were quite common in the more urban parts of Japanese cities. A Shichirin and a small, round, stove, primarily designed for use with pots, or small grates. It is a family cooking device. A konro, is going to be rectangular, and is designed as a cooking device, and is most commonly associated with charcoal grilling yakitori and small fishes. More on that later. Konro and Shichirin are most often used with Binchotan or Sumi-e charcoal, very high quality charcoals from Japan, Korea or China. It is worth noting that the sides of the konro, made from diatomaceous earth, never heated beyond warm. After 6 hours over 750F, the sides of the konro could be held with bare hands.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/binchotan_zpsf6326172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/binchotan_zpsf6326172.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Binchotan and Lump </i></span></div>
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Above is a photo of three pieces of Binchotan and one piece of American oak lump charcoal. We wanted to compare these in the konro. It took a good 30 minutes on the gas grill to even get the Binchotan starting to ash. In actual use, the Binchotan, which costs 4x to 10x the cost of the lump, was vastly superior. It burned hotter than the lump, and where the lump was gone after 15 to 20 minutes, we rolled the binchotan at 750F to 1000F for 6 solid hours. Beyond that, the Binchotan burned with no visible smoke, seared and atomized dripping almost immediately and was far hotter than the lump ever got. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Tare in reduction mode </i></span></div>
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I made several tare, based upon the original dashi, along with a variety of ingredients. The tare is the glaze/marinade that is brushed on to the meats and vegetables during the grilling part of the cook. These consisted of varying amounts of dashi, sugar, shoyu, mirin, sake, vinegar etc... Then I reduce these, to create a thicker liquid, this gives me a little more stickiness when applying the tare. For this cook, I decided to blow palates out of the water, ignoring subtlety, I used a base recipe like this.<br />
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Base Tare:<br />
2 cups dashi<br />
1/4 cup shoyu<br />
3 to 4 shiitake mushrooms, preferably dried and soaked<br />
2 tablespoons citrus juice<br />
2 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)<br />
2 tablespoons sake<br />
1/4 cup brown sugar (amamizu, which is basically glucose syrup would have been great)<br />
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Combine and simmer down to 1/2 original volume.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Small, oily, fish </i></span></div>
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Under that stuff, which is NOT peanut butter, is a Aji mackerel, it was cleaned, scaled and had the hard swimmerlets removed from it's sides. I then covered it in a flavored miso and allowed it to sit in the refrigerator for 4 hours. This was to draw out some liquid, prepare the skin for grilling and add some flavor. Every surface had to be rubbed with the miso. I decided to use a flavored miso for kicks and giggles.<br />
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Flavored Miso:<br />
1.5 cups of shiro miso<br />
2 tablespoons or so, of dashi<br />
1 tablespoon of lemon juice<br />
1 teaspoon of Yuzu<br />
Lime zest<br />
dash of togarashi oil<br />
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Mix all ingredients thoroughly, apply cold to cold fish (important that all things are cold). Then wrap in plastic wrap and store in fridge for at least 2 hours, and up to 24 hours. And yes, the longer you go, the funkier it will get. For the actual grilling, I wash the miso off, and the fish goes down whole onto the grill. Grill it until the skin is charred in places and crispy. Serve whole. Once the meat is eaten, you can grill the spine, which some people really love. The other Aji and the sardine were simply scaled and rubbed with kosher salt, then allowed to sit for 40 minutes and grilled. Just that simple.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/peppers_zps9348d295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/peppers_zps9348d295.jpg" width="400" /> </a> </div>
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There were vegetables, shishito peppers, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, eggplants, Tokyo negi (a large green onion from Japan). We also grilled some SPAM and fresh pineapple, which we made into Spam Mususbi, the pineapple really added to the dish. I ended up making a cucumber tsukemono, and some other friends made udon soup to start the dinner off. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Meats </i></span></div>
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Here is the shot of the octopus tentacle, next time, I really need to get baby octopus. The ultra prime ribeye was rolled around slices of the Tokyo Negi. I understand this was delicious, I missed out on it. The squid was brilliant also, but, I have not one decent shot to show, there was a sake accident.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/charglow1_zpse0a1aaf8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/charglow1_zpse0a1aaf8.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Torinegi </i></span></div>
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We finished off the dinner with torinegi, the classic yakitori dish of chicken with Tokyo negi slices. We held off this dish until the end, as one of our diners in deathly allergic to chicken. This dish was incredible though, as you can see, the charcoal is still ripping hot, and the chicken browned beautifully. I used a tare that combined the basic tare I listed above, with a couple of dashed of yuzu hot sauce, togarashi oil and shiro miso, to really get a lot of flavor rolling on the surface of the chicken. There is no doubt after eating this, that there is solid reason that chicken grilled over binchotan is a staple of Japanese street food and Izakaya culture, they marry perfectly. In terms of preparation, just some boned out chicken thigh chunks, interspersed with Tokyo negi chunks, grilled over the fire. Amazing chicken.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Oooo! Glowy! </i></span></div>
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I just like how the coals are glowing under the meat here. And yes, that is a large, fancy, stainless steel gas grill we are cooking over with a charcoal grill. I loved this cook, the long hours notwithstanding, there is something very engaging and direct about this style of cooking, if I could do this, gathered around a large table, just grilling and shoving stick of food at people, I would never tire of that.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-37386687753344545372013-07-18T18:17:00.001-07:002013-07-18T18:17:33.815-07:00Carmel and the Desperate FoodieFamily affairs called me to Carmel this past week, this is the home town of my Brother-in-law, and one of his most favorite places on earth. He had a big family meeting, and made it into a family trip, which lead my sister to ask if I could swing down, and hang out while the various in-law stuff happened. Sure, why not, although Carmel and Monterey have never been my favorite places. I don't care for crowds, not a big 'shopper' and I have found that this area, while a great source of incredible produce, is incredibly hard to find any of it cooked, or at least, cooked for a good price. And much of the seafood is, oddly, quite pedestrian. Trapped as I was, I managed to find the Carmel Farmer's Market (again, curiously small for being in the middle of one of the most amazing growing areas in the world). We managed to score some great onions, garlic, lettuce, tomatoes, Romano beans and locally made Italian sausage from a family that has been in the region for over a century. We also got some locally made linguine and some Parmesan at the market, now we were talking. We then hit the local fish market, and much to my joy, found Monterey squid, some of the last of the season as well as some wild caught Mexican prawns. The Monterey squids are small market squids, with thin bodies and delicate tentacles, delicious little beasts. For some reason, all of the local restaurants deep fry them, thus destroying the texture and flavor.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/squid_zpsce7eed91.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/squid_zpsce7eed91.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>One knife, two cook, no problem, pocket knife </i></span></div>
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Hopefully you can get a feel for how these squid are. They are very tender when handled and cooked correctly. These would end up for a saute, as a couple of people expressed doubts about the tentacles. Here are the sausages, we ended up just browning these in olive oil and slicing.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Italian-ish sausages </i></span></div>
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These sausages had been made from Kurobuta pork, with loads of fennel seed, black pepper and Chardonnay from a local producer. Amazing flavor, and while not cheap, they were used to prepare food for 9 people. The Romano beans, given the traditional slant cut, these were given a quick blanch and quench, you can tell by the color that these were incredibly fresh and just a little crunchy still.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Romano's, a favorite of mine </i></span></div>
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With all the ingredients prepped, we waited for everyone to get done with their various family chores, oddly, my chore ended up being getting groceries, cooking, and oh, I had to buy a new pan and steamer/pot combination. My sister had to also, as there were no pots in the house.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/squidpan_zps9fc3755a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/squidpan_zps9fc3755a.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Squid dish, mid cook</i></span> </div>
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A little olive oil, some finely minced garlic and chopped onions, and a few teaspoons of locally made apricot jam. Which, while it might initially sound odd, the sweet and fruity flavors really worked into the squid quite well. This was reduced until the squid was tender.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Beans and sausage </i></span></div>
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Beans, garlic, onions and sausage rounds, all sauteed up, just until hot. The prawns were halved and tossed into the pan and everything was quickly brought to temperature. I removed most of the meat and beans to a bowl and tossed in the linguine, no rinsing, no rinsing! Just straight from the pasta water to the pan, along with a handful of the Parmesan, a half cup of milk and toss to coat. The pasta water will thicken the sauce up.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>It ain't pretty, or focused, a platter for my linguine! </i></span></div>
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Plated, as it were, in a half service pan liner. Yay, fancy plating! The pasta was panned, tossed with freshly chopped Italian Parsley, then the meat and beans on top. Again, family style in a apartment, with not pots and tiny, tiny, dishes. This would have been great on a large platter.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/calamari_zps389c881b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/calamari_zps389c881b.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Squid with Apricot preserve </i></span></div>
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The squid, now Calamari, which had been cooked in the reducing apricot preserves, took on a faint color, and loads of flavor. This dish was terrific as well, and a great compliment to the pasta dish. Along with the salad of local lettuce and tomatoes, a vastly superior meal to what we could have gotten in town. The Farmer's Market, as small as it was, served me well, with reliably fresh produce and food stuff. If you discount the pots, which will see many cooks in my kitchen, the food for this dinner was around $80, for 9 people. Which is far better than anywhere in the area.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-41427544590824307552013-07-10T23:25:00.003-07:002013-07-10T23:25:43.371-07:00Sustainablity, Innovation, DinnerIn my real life, away from the plate, I am a landscape architect, I have been such for nearly 30 years now, and my practice has been quite traditional. That is to say, I have focused on the traditional design and engineering of landscapes, generally with an emphasis on public sector projects and commercial development projects, the 'bread and butter' of traditional practice. And it has been good for me. Even more than my passion for food, landscape architecture has filled my life with joy, purpose and meaning. In a lot of ways, my design and food ideals have met at this nexus, reflecting my sensibilities, my heritage and my preference for design to reflect nourishment of the whole person. Playgrounds or pasta, it has always been about finding that place where the soul if fed as much as the body.<br />
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Of late, I have come to understand that there is a change in how society and culture interact with the built environment, a change that I think is reflected in the resistance of many to see the world in a new paradigm, an entrenchment and resistance to innovation. I think many of us, who felt we were the pointed end of the spear, that were going to redefine society, now see that society has changed. We seek relevance, some in the old ways, some in new ways. And though I fear, that I am of that old way, that my skills and knowledge are irretrievably growing archaic, I see things changing. And I see incredibly dynamic young people, doing interesting things, defining how they will choose to live, not buying into the paradigm of my time. When I think of ideas that somehow point to a time 50, 100 even 200 years ago, clinging to the idea that there should be no change, indeed, there can be no change, I see fear, I see reluctance to embrace a brave new world.<br />
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What the hell am I talking about? Tonight, I had the chance to connect some of this vision, with an old friend, in the form Greg DeLaune, who has recreated himself to be a part of creating this new world, and a new friend, Hiroo Nagahara, a chef trained on traditional foods, traditional methods and science. Into the mix, was an even newer friend, Debbie Acosta, who is charged with creating a new and vibrant, sustainable and innovative San Leandro. And I am the soft connection, that lead all of use to be at a dinner in Berkeley, where we would talk about innovation, community building, sustainability and chocolate cupcakes. Food and design, and it's all about the story.<br />
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I convinced Hiroo that this would be a great chance to do a little catering job. And into this space he came.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Not exactly Vegas, Baby </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Yes, a re-purposed office space </i></span></div>
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/kitchen_zps7175582f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/kitchen_zps7175582f.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Of course there is a kitchen </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I wouldn't blame Hiroo if he never cooked for me again </i></span></div>
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Can you serve a dinner for 31 people, with no stove, no refrigerator, no counterspace, why yes, if you are good. Hiroo is good. By the time was all sat down to eat, light was fading and I have found that there is no good photo to be taken with an I-phone by candlelight. But, I was mostly there to meet folks and to get more of a feel for sustainable and innovative culture. There was this dish...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Roots and Dirt </i></span></div>
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First off, I loved the plating and whimsy of this dish. This was the appetizer course, meant to serve 3 to 4 people, it was carrots and radishes, in various stages of pickling, curing and sous vide. There was a puree of apple and miso, and the 'dirt' which was a roasted seaweed powder. This was so delicious.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Some lovely poached Arctic Char </i></span></div>
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Without a kitchen, Hiroo was forced to prepare an entire dinner that could be cooked off-site, bought to the kitchen and plated. He used the sous vide and poaching, as well as amazing ingredients to bring a four course dinner forth from a table and counter.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Date a chef, live the glamorous life, plate greens</i></span></div>
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With a budget of $25 per person, Hiroo recruited the one person he could depend on to work for nothing. Thanks to Weiwei for jumping in and plating. It really isn't as fun as it looks. This plate would end up holding poached Arctic Char over wilted greens as the first course, and sous vide Black Angus tongue, with roasted potato and spinach. No pictures as it was too dark, but, it was delicious, amazing given the price and lack of a kitchen. And then dessert, which I wish I had a description of, other than that it was a gluten free chocolate cupcake, using Hiroo's own flour, with a chocolate cheesecake stuffing, and chocolate crunch layer and topped with chocolate frosting. Oh, all Valhrona Venezuelan chocolate, the good stuff.<br />
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I often look for the story, the connection or meaning of the food I am eating, what the chef was trying to say or do. What his story is, and I know Hiroo loves food. But, I know he also loves bringing his food forth to people, the he enjoys that people enjoy the food, get what he is doing. He could easily fall back into a big restaurant, get back on a line. But, he is doing things like this, technique and knowledge, top ingredients, all placed on a plate for a very moderate price. Bringing very fine dining to an office space. I have eaten a lot of bad sandwiches at dinners like this. <br />
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In all, a wonderful night of meeting some folks doing very interesting things, talking with Mike Zuckerman about adventures in creating and exploring urbanism, sharing and culture in a new world. hearing about Freespace and talking about spontaneous innovation with a focus on giving. I also met a young man, couldn't be more than 30 or so, who is working to develop real time water quality monitoring solutions for industrial processes, and a young woman working with major corporations to create core changes in corporate values to increase their sustainability and relevance in the new economy. A room full of people changing how we live in our world, seeking to change how we have always done it.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-73101732300114235912013-06-28T13:53:00.002-07:002013-06-28T13:53:54.418-07:00HN^2 at Trace, two pop-ups in one weekMadness, guest cooking two pop-ups in one week, but, this time it was food prepared by the good folks at Trace Restaurant, along with the head chef of the Chairman (Bao) food truck and Chef Nagahara. If you are unfamiliar, Trace is the restaurant and lounge in the San Francisco W Hotel, The Chairman is the food truck that has made a splash in San Francisco, selling Gua Bao with a Western twist and Chef Nagahara is the chef who consulted on the original menu for The Chairman Truck (nee The Chairman Bao Truck).<br />
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And again, far too lazy to haul my good camera on BART, I missed a couple of course, and blurred a couple of others. Still, you can get an idea.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Roasted Corn Flan, Sweet Potato, Lotus Root, Yellow Curry </i></span></div>
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Starting with some passed appetizers, I missed a shot of the marinated Hawaiian Albacore with apple, mustards and Battera konbu. But got this shot, overall, on the sweet side, a play on the sweet Japanese version of curry.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Duck Tater Tot, Pekin duck, Shiso Bernaise, Citrus </i></span></div>
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Obviously, a play on tater tots, but, meaty, crispy and meaty, with the brightness of Shiso and citrus playing counterpoint to the richness of the duck. It became clear that this menu would be far more whimsical than the experience at Parallel 37.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Chicken Nugget </i></span></div>
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Seriously, a chicken nugget and it had the right texture and crunch, although far more flavorful, with Cucumber and peanuts adding to the umami of the dish. Did I mention that this was a 13 course tasting for $40?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Feesh, I don't really dig feesh</i></span></div>
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And here, yes, a salmonid, my least favorite of non-favorite food, although, this was perfectly cooked char, with Kanzuri, Sunchoke puree and Red Shiso. I am really digging the appearance of the Shiso sprouts, whereas I find Shiso to often be over-powering, the sprouts are perfect, punchy herbs. I will be sprouting these soon. For those wondering, Kanzuri is a red pepper paste, with Yuzu citrus, and shio koji added.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Now, this, I can enjoy </i></span></div>
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Scallops, diver scallops, seared and with English peas, Hijiki and spiced Greek Yogurt. Yes, this was really a $40 dinner and no, I did not get to eat it all, this was family style. It was fun to see what a food truck can do, when a real kitchen and a full staff is suddenly available.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Tofu and stuff </i></span></div>
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House made tofu, and I got to hear the chef of the Chairman truck discuss how making tofu is not his favorite thing, but, this had a great texture and flavor. The effect of taking the time and extra effort to really craft a food item shown through on this dish. Accompanied with tiny squash and tiny Shiitake, this was a very savory dish. The interaction of a food truck and a restaurant was particularly intriguing, as the age of innovation that was spurred by food trucks is slowly ebbing back into many kitchens.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Gua Bao, well, it is The Chairman Truck </i></span></div>
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The standard for the Chairman, and incredibly well-conceived gua bao. Roasted leg of lamb, Fresh cherries, Marcona almonds and Mint, a rich dish, again, balanced with the acid of fruit and the bright herbal flavor, this time from mint. One thing I have noticed, is that the innovation that once was the hallmark of the food truck business has slowed, with more and more trucks seeking to sell what sells, and not being about young kitchen turks turned privateers. Could another trend be forming?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Soup in the middle </i></span></div>
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Yes, a soup course, mid-dinner, in this case, Charred Eggplant Agnolotti in a Miso soup, with pcilled cherry tomatoes. What a dish, spectacular. Yes, the odd little soup course, killer dish of the dinner. The pickled tomatoes (which were all peeled) along with the agnolotti and a pure miso shiro, flavor bomb of the dinner. Chef hit this on the head, the slight bitterness of the charred eggplant playing against the sweetness of the miso, and the tartness of tomato, balanced perfectly. I live for those items on a menu, or in coursing, that turn my head. Something like this, not a fancy or huge course, yet, perfectly achieved.<br />
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There was this rockfish plate, no photo, it was good.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Yum, gland meat... </i></span></div>
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I am a texture eater, and contrary to what it might appear, I am a picky eater. But, I have a theory that I have to at least try and eat everything presented at a tasting. And hence, I ate this dish, Sweetbreads with Japanese Turnip, Maitake Mushroom and Red Miso. And other than the sweetbreads, a texture I really dislike, everything was delicious. I would rather eat fish.<br />
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<i>Dessert, YAY! </i></div>
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Actually, that would be First Dessert, a White Chocolate Namelaka, with Chocolate Sea Salt and Honey. Namelaka, a Japanese creamy dessert, in this case, much like Panna Cotta, with an amazing white chocolate flavor and chocolate sea salt, so good. The strawberries did not hurt this dish either. Dessert should be spectacular. It should carry you forward with a final memory of a great meal. Not everyday, but, after something like this, it should really create an image of the dinner journey. This wasn't that dessert.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Second Dessert </i></span></div>
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This was! A extraction of strawberries, made into a sauce almost like a soup, with a slice of olive oil cake, and the hints of Earl Gray tea and Lavender informing the sauce beautifully. This was, all at one, savory, sweet, fresh, herbal and lingering. This was what you wanted to walk away from the dinner tasting, a long finish to a meal.<br />
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Over the course of two dinners, I got to see one chef influence two meals, telling his story, first in a brilliant technical presentation, using every skill and nuance, painting each dish with beauty and presenting his vision of how science, traditional Japanese food stuffs and fine dining can meld into one dinner; and the second dinner, whimsical, with humor and simplicity, working with simpler ingredients and quicker platings, still telling of his vision of using modern techniques and old world ingredients. With the added fun of the guys from The Chairman, creating that one bite hit, so important to a food truck, can easily translate to a dinner plate. Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-70396086439899575172013-06-24T18:22:00.001-07:002013-06-24T18:22:17.853-07:00HN^2 at Parallel 37-Summertime at Parallel 37<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>First off, I want to apologize for the photos, if this had not been such a great dinner, I would have buried these shots. I was lazy and should have brought my real camera. The dishes plated by Chef Nagahara and Chef Rotondo deserved a better photographic effort. No matter, one to the food.</i></span><br />
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Last night, I had the opportunity to dine at Parallel 37, the restaurant located within the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in San Francisco. Far from your standard hotel restaurant, Parallel 37 has brought in Chef Michael Rotondo, formerly with Charlie Trotter in Chicago, to create a destination fine dining restaurant in the middle of San Francisco. For this dinner, he joined forces with Chef Hiroo Nagahara, who was the Chef de Cuisine at Bar Charlie, former coworkers under the Trotter helm, this was their chance to share the spotlight again. We partook of the 6 course Tasting Menu, along with the pairings, which allowed the somellier, another associate from their Trotter days, free reign in the cellar. And he hit home run after home run with that access. A few prep scenes...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Chef Nagahara and assistant </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Details, details, chefs at work! </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Butter </i></span></div>
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Why am I showing butter? This was no simple butter, there was a beautiful and subtle herb butter and an amazing quenelle of compound butter, that has a distinct hit of umami, and a nice coarse salt, it showed early, that this would be a dinner where the details were taken seriously. There was also a Lemon Basil Aperitif that was a great opening statement that was mixed by the bartender.<br />
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<u>The Amuse Bouche-Grande</u><br />
Pairing: Henriot Blanc de Blanc NV Champagne<br />
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This was the largest amouse I have ever seen, and sadly, I can barely remember anything about what was on the plate, as eating commenced prior to listening.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Amuse Part 1-Oyster, Tomato Pulp, White Stuff </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Yuzu-cured Hamachi(?), Tomato 'Aspic'</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This was delicious </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Ayu Tempura </i></span></div>
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That last dish, largely, was why I have no clue what I was eating as the Amuse. Ayu, a small fish known largely in Asia is considered a delicacy in Japan, to see one in the States is quite unusual, and the presentation was striking. Plus, the tomatoes are such a favorite of mine, to see how the chef's wove this amuse together was a joy. Sometimes you just eat.<br />
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<u>First Course: Dungeness Crab, Radishes, Amazake, Junmai Dainginjo Sake.</u><br />
Pairing: Conreria Dei Scala, Brugeres, Garnacha Blanco, Priorat 2011<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>No, it is not soft roe</i></span></div>
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This dish should have been photographed prior to the amazake being poured over. The Dungeness crab was served chilled in gel, there were baby radishes, Hijiki (a form of seaweed) and the sweet amazake poured over it all. Beautiful and delicate. The pairing was brilliant and not standard in any way, the Garnacha lending it's typical generous and flashy aroma, and a great earthy palate, but, minus the tannins that results from being on the lees.<br />
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<u>Second Course: Sonoma Squab, Liver, Strawberry Juice, Ham Essence</u><br />
Pairing: Franz Hirtzenberger Rielsing, Smaragd, Wachau 2006<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Not Blood</i></span></div>
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A breast of squab, perfectly roasted to rare, with a nice crispy skin, technique, subtle and perfect. The liver dots with fennel and croutons, which looks like an afterthought, added texture, crunch and herbal notes, that worked right in with the sqaub. The strawberry juice was pure sweet berry and the ham essence kicked in salt and crunch. A beautifully conceived dish. The Riesling, which had some age on it, worked beautifully as a pairing, quite typical of an Austrian Riesling, the layers of fruit, mineral, acidity and slight petroleum played across the squab and liver, and was lifted by the berry. A great match.<br />
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<u>Third Course: Tamba Kuromame Tofu, Aori Ika, Peaches, Lemon Verbena</u><br />
Pairing: Yves Cuilleron, Viognier, Rhone Valley 2011<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I Love Tofu</i></span></div>
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This dish, a tofu made with kuromame, the black soybean so integral to Osechi Ryori, the New Years meal, and an ingredient that is a favorite of mine, exemplifies what I consider to be the crossing of technique and the visceral sensation of a dish so familiar. This dish took a lifelong favorite and presented it in a way that was totally unfamiliar. Black tofu, fried crunchy, so rich and perfectly played off of the cauliflower, peaches, ika. For me, this was where the dinner hit on every note. There could not have been a better dish, speaking to me on every level. The pairing with the Viogner seemed odd to me, but, once tasted, I realized that this was not typical German summer wine, this was Rhone to the core, with a slight funky earthiness, and stony backbone, the stone fruit picking up the peach, a great pairing for a difficult pairing.<br />
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<u>Fourth Course: Kagoshima Shiokko, Bing Cherries, Summer Beans, Pink-tip Parsley</u><br />
Pairing: Beaux Fréres, Pinot Noir, Beaux Fréres Vineyard, Willamette Valley, 2008<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I hate fish </i></span></div>
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To be clear, Shiokko is Young Amberjack, and this was perfectly seared. The initially odd combination of cherries, beans and parsley just worked, playing sweet, herbal, earthy against the mild fish flavor and the toasty undertones from the sear. As to the wine pairing, Beaux Fréres rarely misses, but, this Pinot is one of the best bottlings you can find in Oregon, the best of Oregon Pinot noir, smooth, silky yet distinctly New World. The fact that it had a little age and picked up on the cherries and earthy bean-ness of this dish, made what the sommelier had said what he though to be a risky pairing, into the perfect pairing. Red with fish, perfect.<br />
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<u>Fifth Course: Lamb in Many Forms, Green Curry</u><br />
Pairing: Delas, Cote Rotie, Seigneur de Maugiron, Rhone 2006<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Lamb, Lamb, oh, and, um, Lamb </i></span></div>
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The final savory course, lamb tongue, lamb saddle, lamb flank, lamb tenderloin, each getting it's own preparation, ranging from meltingly tender tongue to that little crispy nugget of fat. The curried peas and herbs were a great counter point to the richness of the lamb and the crispy bits of dried lamb. There was a distinct cardamom and cumin accent to the flavor profiles that tied all the preparations together. The chosen pairing of a predominantly Syrah wine from the Rhone was clearly a classic play, but, the wine chosen was a beautiful example that played well with the lamb, as well as the normally challenging warm spices used on this dish.<br />
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<u>Sixth Course: Guanaja Chocolate, Blood Orange Dipped Doughnuts</u><br />
Pairing: Maury, Banyuls, Mas Amiel, Roussilon 1969<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Chocolate! Yay! </i></span></div>
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This dish was a terrific dessert, the chocolate 'dirt' was a slightly discordant note, but, the doughnuts were brilliant, the orange cream and the ganache in the center of the dish was just perfect. Now, to the pairing, the wine was exceptional as a pairing. However, the wine was brilliant and I think would have been perfect alone. It was an exceptional selection, something that is a rare treat. I truly felt this wine could have been presented on it's own, it was so exceptional.<br />
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The dishes prepared by Chef Rotondo showed that there are some amazing things being done in the kitchen of Parallel 37, the restaurant definitely is worth a second look based upon this dinner. Chef Hiroo showed an amazing combination of respect for the food stuffs of his heritage, with the techniques of modernist cuisine seamlessly. This was an unforgettable dinner and effort by the chefs and their staff. <br />
<br />Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-85447602564025825212013-06-15T12:47:00.000-07:002013-06-15T12:47:05.143-07:00Japanese Food - Birthday blow-out 2013Izakaya Yuzuki became an instant favorite of mine, the first time I had the Tsukemono, which they ferment in 'Nuka', a rice bran product, that informs all of my best experiences with Japanese food, every dish rang true to what I had come to know, through my grandmother's preparations. On my recent birthday, Rob, my friend and frequent dining companion surprised me with a trip to Yuzuki, along with our friends Kevin and Hiroo, we found ourselves being treated to an 'omakase' feast and it was amazing.<br />
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To start off, we ordered some beer, the Ozeno Yukidoke IPA, which was a surprisingly good, almost West-coastish IPA, with excellent malt body and great hop bitterness and aroma. Then, we had to order a bottle of sake, it is an izakaya, after all. And we found, much to my surprise a Junmai Daiginjo, the highest rating for a sake, and it was from Hiroshima, the place in Japan that my father's family originates from, it seemed appropriate, as my dad and I share a birthday. <span style="font-size: small;">The </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="NL">Maboroshi Kurobako</span><b><span lang="NL"> </span></b></span><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Junmai Daiginjo Genshu) is rather a unique and delicate sake, something that was a wonderful accompaniment to the meal. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><span style="font-size: small;">And on to the food. One of the great things a chef can do, especially with a large tasting menu, is to take you on a journey, the way the food is served, the order in which dishes appear, it can all tell a story of what the kitchen is seeking to do. This would end up being a 15 course tasting menu, with a deft and subtle path.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Course 1: Zaru Tofu</u> - made in house, a soft textured and very subtle tofu, served with Maldon sea salt on the side. This is unlike any tofu you can buy in a store.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Zaru Tofu with Sea Salt </i></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Course Two: Pirikara Cucumbers</u> - Fresh cucumbers, that are marinated is sesame oil and shichimi pepper powder, a delicate, almost pickle-like preparation, with a hint of heat on the finish.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Pirikara Cucumbers </i></span></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Course Three: Ika Shiokara</u> - This dish was squid that had been marinated in salt and squid liver, along with some ikura (salmon roe/bait), flowers, and micro Shiso leaves. It was amazing the impact of the Shiso on this dish.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Ika Shiokara </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/ika2_zps13110b7c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/ika2_zps13110b7c.jpg" width="400" /> </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The detail of the knifework, stunning </i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><u>Course Four: Satsuma Age</u> - a fried fish cake (rock cod and shrimp) with vegetables, and this was of exceptional quality, very light and tender. fried just enough to be crisp. We make this at home, but, nowhere near this level of skill. Honestly, the best example of this dish I have ever had.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Satsuma Age </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><u>Course Five: Karage</u> - Chicken marinated in Shio Koji (a salt and fermented rice mixture) then deep fried. For some reason, no photo was taken.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><u>Course Six: Aji no Hiraki</u> - now, in any situation where you give up control of the menu, there is a risk that something you detest might show up. This was that dish. I hate mackerel, can't stand it. So, here was a Shio Koji cured, air dried and grilled mackerel. Yay... With the spine grilled and eaten like a cracker...double yay...I have no idea how good, or bad, this was.</span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Aji no Hiraki </span></i></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><u>Course Seven: Tsukune and Negima</u> - Shio Koji cured chicken meatball and chicken with scallion, known as standards of Yakitori, this was a welcome dish, after those mackerel. Chef uses an exceptional 'tare' (think of this as a bbq sauce/glaze) to create additional depth of flavor and color. Hiroo, who is something of an expert of traditional Japanese foods and I, a dilettante at best, agreed that this was cooked over 'Binchotan' charcoal and quite properly done.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Negima (back) and Tsukune (front) </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><u>Course Eight: Yaki Surume Ika</u> - This time, squid cured in Shio Koji, then grilled and presented with a 'Yuzu' mayonnaise. Yuzu is one of the main flavoring ingredients in Japanese cooking, a small citrus, it is incredibly aromatic. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Yaki Surume Ika </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><u>Course Nine: Obanzai</u> - Vegetables cooked in the Kyoto-style, three ways, and I had a little trouble here, as I could not figure out any vegetable in the tamagoyaki, it tasted like egg wrapped around eel, which makes no sense, although it was delicious. I have no idea what the middle dish was made from, and the sweet potato was delicious. Sorry, by this time, I was just eating away.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Some stuff cooked in three ways </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><u>Course Ten and Eleven: Two Rice dishes and Tsukemono</u> - my favorite dishes at this restaurant, and I feel best eaten together, although that is quite 'village' of me. Tsukemono, the traditional 'nuka' fermented pickles, along with the Koshihikari rice, cooked in traditional ceramic pots, presented with clams, or with Hijiki and cured vegetables, I added the tsukemono to mine. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/clamrice_zpsff0d9dc7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/clamrice_zpsff0d9dc7.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Koshihikari Gohan with Hamaguri </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Koshihikari Gohan with Hijiki and Tsukemono </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><u>Course Twelve: Chawanmushi with Uni</u> - also known as the palate reprieve, another classic of Japan, a very delicate egg and 'dashi' custard, with uni floated on top. It was my sense that the herb Mitsuba was also there, in the leaf floating on top. Mitsuba is a great addition to any broth or stock, adding a nice herbal touch.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Chawanmushi with Uni </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><u>Course Thirteen: Kobe Beef Tataki</u> - raw Kobe beef, presented with a bright onion salad and a yuzukosho miso sauce. Yuzukosho is a mixture of pepper powder, yuzu peel and salt. It added a nice punch to the fatty raw beef. And yes, it is a terrible photo.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Kobe Tataki </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><u>Course Fourteen: Kakiage</u> - We had seen this dish walked past our table several times, and it was beginning to become a problem. It looked so good. Essentially it is shredded root vegetables and meat, in this case, shrimp, that are deep fried in a 'Tempura' batter. I grew up with this, but, not with this level of refinement. But, the flavors reminded me of many dinners with my grandmother and mother, both of whom loved this dish, hence, it means a lot to me. The Daikon-oroshi is mixed into the sauce, the lemon is squeezed over the fritters and then the green tea salt is sprinkled on. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Kakiage </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><u>Course Fifteen: Yaki Omusubi</u> - Grilled sweet rice balls with a compound butter of soy and uni. To say this is unusual as a flavor combination is understating. But, the rice was perfectly grilled and flavored with the 'Tare', the butter was incredibly rich and flavorful. We had to ask the kitchen to stop at this point.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Yaki Omusubi </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;">This was a meal to remember, with every dish being executed with tremendous skill and care. So many of the dishes speak to me, perhaps in a language far more sophisticated than I am used to, but, in the flavors, aromas and compositions that speak to me of my family and childhood. It was a most thoughtful and amazing gesture on Rob's part. And it reaffirms my belief that this is one of the best restaurants in San Francisco.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: NL;"><br /></span></span>Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-77300103917158091032013-06-03T13:48:00.004-07:002013-06-03T13:48:42.684-07:00Reunion BentoAn unusual thing happened on the way to this blog post, about a month ago, I received an email from a old friend, it had been almost 30 years since we had last spoken, and he was seeking to organize a reunion of our Landscape Architecture class, folks that I spent 3 of the most enjoyable, and torturous years of my life with. I looked forward to this event like few other. I wanted to cook something special, something that reflects me, as a person and a cook, and that is the particular fusion of Japanese and American food I have grown to appreciate more and more. I made enough that I felt I could generously share, as that was what I hoped this event would be about.<br />
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Bento, as I grew up knowing it, existed as a picnic food, not the formalized boxes we see in restaurants, but, the neat little boxes of food, in my youth, these were wonderful lacquered wood that would stack and tie. I used the modern, and sadly lacking, plastic box version. The ones for clumsy children, like me! On to the photos...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Chuka Wakame and Kuromame </i></span></div>
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I bought these, sweet black soy beans, and a sesame seaweed salad. To be honest, I could have made them, but, the store bought is quite good and I had limited time to prepare the foods. This was a great cheat. All of the food here was prepared and cooked in a split 5 hour period.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/oden_zps8bd0504b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/oden_zps8bd0504b.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Simplified Oden </i></span></div>
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I ended up making a simple and quick dashi, as I know of no other way to prepare Japanese food, this was one of the dishes that needed it, a simple oden, of seared kamaboko, braised carrots and shiitake mushrooms, with a broth of the dashi seasoned with sweet potato.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/cukessprouts_zpsce2d396e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/cukessprouts_zpsce2d396e.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Tsukemono, Moyashi and Kuri</i></span></div>
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A basic salt and sugar pickle, the standard for my family, Moyashi, the bean sprouts, accented with a little toasted sesame oil and rayu. The Kuri, cucumbers, with just the vinegar. These are needed, as they provide a great counterpoint to the rice and richer dishes. Sweet and sour is one of the basic flavor profiles of all Asian foods.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/pork-1_zpscff3675a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/pork-1_zpscff3675a.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Char-siu, Takuan, Onigiri </i></span></div>
I made a basic char-siu, which is a recipe I have covered previously in my blogs, this was cooked in the oven, due to time restraints. It was still terrific, and since it was to be served cold, the lack of smoke was not a bad thing, as smoke would have affected the other elements in the box. The takuan was a purchased item, although I plan on making some, this was not the time. The onigiri, which forms the basis of the next three boxes was a very high quality rice, with I dressed with a 'su' and added some nori furikake, a seasoning for rice, in this case, nori, sesame seeds and katsuoboshi (dried bonito ground to fine flakes), and sea salt. I also topped the pork with the same.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Thai-influenced Chicken Wings, Onigiri </i></span></div>
Okay, a touch of fusion here, these are not Teriyaki wings, they were marinated in a mixture of fresh ginger, fish sauce (as usual, Red Boat), lime, green onions, whiskey, shoyu, chile pepper and rice syrup. The object was to add just a little top note from the pepper, still trying to stay with a Japanese palate, so not the typical heat one might expect.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/eggs_zps89effb95.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/eggs_zps89effb95.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Onigiri, Gomae, Tamagoyaki </i></span></div>
Here, you can see the seasoned rice balls (onigiri, onee-gee-dee, please, not on-ee-gear-ee), along with the spinach gomae, a blanched spinach seasoned with toasted sesame oil, and the tamagoyaki, my nemesis, a rolled egg omelet, in this case seasoned with a little sweet sake, sake, shoyu, and dashi. It is my nemesis, as the rolling often doesn't work for me. My family does not do the thick layers so common now, our standard would be layers that are more like thick paper.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/berries_zpsef594dbd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/berries_zpsef594dbd.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Strawberries macerated in whiskey, balsamic, rice syrup </i></span></div>
Something fresh and sweet is always a nice way to finish. I happen to like strawberries just plain, but, wanted to dress these up a bit. These were organic, as was all of the produce I used, and these were coastal grown from older, non-hybrid plants, so the berries are smaller, more uniformly ripe and with a sweet and tart flavor that stood up to the flavors nicely.<br />
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I ended up bringing a little bit home, but, the food held up beautifully as it sat on the picnic table. One of the great things about these types of Japanese foods is that they adapt well to being served cold, tepid or hot. As for the reunion itself, it was as if 30 years melted into a day apart, when we saw each other, time disappeared and we were the same people, except for the fact that we were a little grayer and a lot less worried about turning in our projects.<br />
<br />Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-91741498672391329212013-05-29T19:51:00.001-07:002013-05-29T19:51:49.185-07:00Images from a Dinner with Koji...Koji, as in the ingredient from Japan, a fermented rice product, that is increasingly finding it's way into many Japanese cook's tool box. A traditional ingredient, enjoying a resurgence, I had the opportunity to be a guest at an incredible dinner featuring this ingredient, at what I consider to be one of the best restaurants in San Francisco, Bar Tartine. <br />
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A bit about the chef, Nicolaus Balla is doing some amazing stuff, bridging his experiences from the Midwest, Budhapest and several stints in Japan, with amazing techniques and ingredients. Anytime I can dine here, I jump at the opportunity, this time, he was joined in the kitchen by a chef from Japan, who specializes in Koji, and a chef from Los Angeles, who would make a hand made soba for the dinner.<br />
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Special thanks to my friend Laiko Bahrs if <a href="http://www.epicuring.com/california/">Epicuring</a>, for letting us know this was going on. On to the food.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Yes, that is 17 course, they were small... </span></i></div>
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Sadly, I did not get good shots of everything, but, I will show what I have. Koji creates an incredible umami flavor, like all fermented foodstuffs, it creates that 'fifth' flavor. It also offers health benefits, totally offset by gluttony.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rice Porridge Toast, Karasumi, Butter, Radish</span></i> </div>
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Karasumi, salted mullet roe, blah! I was tricked! Actually, this dish was amazing, easily as good as any dish that night, and it was toast. Next!<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/salmon_zps47e30b31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/salmon_zps47e30b31.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Wild King Salmon, Sweet Pea Kasu </i></span></div>
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I am not really sure what sweet pea kasu is, as kasu is the lees from sake making. Somehow that and sweet peas are involved. And yes, that is salmon sausage. I really don't like salmon, but, the sausage and sweet peas were great. Next!<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/ribeyetartar_zps1272b7fc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/ribeyetartar_zps1272b7fc.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Dry-aged Ribeye tartar, Nagaimo, Shingiku, Broth </i></span></div>
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Now we're talking beef. Raw beef, with a foam, nagaimo, once again, a taste and texture (slimy) element I normally detest, but, it was very good in this dish. It was very good. I find that I am bad, very bad, at picking up nagaimo with hashi.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/salad-3_zps0a10b865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/salad-3_zps0a10b865.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Kazunoko Salad </div>
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More challenges to my limited palate. Kazunoko is herring roe on seaweed, I love seaweed, I hate herring roe. Yet, again, in this presentation, I had seconds. Since each dish was presented family style, there was an extra bite or two of most of these dishes. <br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/duck_zps8bfd0e05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/duck_zps8bfd0e05.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Duck Tataki, Grated Radish, Negi </i></span></div>
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A barely seared duck breast, really getting at the essence of the duck, just a little koji was apparent in this dish. But, it was still very good, and something quite out of the norm for an American palate.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/croquettes_zps7e61e6c0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/croquettes_zps7e61e6c0.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Satsuma Imo Korokke </i></span></div>
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Sweet potato croquette, nothing hard about eating this, totally a friendly dish. The mayonnaise as a sauce, the sauce on top, which appeared to be Tonkatsu sauce had a surprising bite, rich and spicy, a great counterpoint to the sweet and crunchy.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickennegi_zps19bde288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/chickennegi_zps19bde288.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Negima </i></span></div>
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Although I have never heard it called this before, clearly this was a chicken and green onion yakitori. Classic izakaya food, classic comfort food. The chicken gets an added dimension of flavor from being marinaded in Koji. Another old friend in a challenging menu.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/kohlrabisoup_zpsecd6ed15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/kohlrabisoup_zpsecd6ed15.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Kohlrabi in Broth </i></span></div>
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Clearly, this dish was meant for soup bowls, but, since none were forthcoming, the kohlrabi, not your normal root vegetable in Japanese or California cooking, was eaten with the mushrooms. Then, I drank from the bowl. No way that broth is going down the sink. Delicious.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/porkshoulder_zpse502f2df.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/porkshoulder_zpse502f2df.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Simmered Pork with Gobo and Egg </i></span></div>
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Ah, back to the things I like less, I am not a fan of gobo, the woody root that was a foundation of many stews and soups in grandma's cooking. Oddly, I found none in this bowl, someone beat me to it. Darn. Sort of. This was amazingly rich and served four, my cholesterol is fine.<br />
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Now, oddly, there are several courses, in which the photos were just unusable. It got dark in the restaurant, and I refuse to shoot with a flash. Bad enough I am shooting pictures of my food at all. Yet, there is this shot.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/kojiicecream_zps824ecdb6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/kojiicecream_zps824ecdb6.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Barley and Koji Ice Cream, Shochu Cake </i></span></div>
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Yes, a semi-sweet ice cream, featuring barley and fermented rice. And it was delicious. I really wish the soba shot and the Wild Nori Yaki Onigiri shots had come out. The crispy rice ball was so good. Hand made soba, something pretty special still.<br />
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As always, my frequent dining companions Rob, Kevin and Michael were along, to geek over the food, joined by Michael's wife Wendy and a celebrity guest, Chef Hiroo Nagahara (<a href="http://www.thechairmantruck.com/">the Chairman food truck</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.576315439056687.1073741834.550826584938906&type=1">HN^2 Pop-ups</a>), and his girlfriend Wei Wei. It was fun sitting with Hiroo and getting his viewpoint on the food, his being from Japan, a shared heritage of food, and of course, his point of view as a chef, such insight and fun. <br />
<br />Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-10325307415063315452013-05-22T20:14:00.000-07:002013-05-22T20:14:37.103-07:00Shot and a BeerI know what you're thinking, beer and whiskey, but, no, this is not about booze. Well, no, that is a lie, it is about beer, beer and food and a little guerrilla dining. I had the chance to attend an event called Shot and a Brew, put on by The Stag Dining Group and Almanac Brewing. A bit about these two groups.<br />
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Our hosts were <a href="http://www.dinestag.com/about/#mission">The Stag Dining Group</a>, who are a group of friends who decided it was time to work together in an industry that they loved, even as business and life moved them about. The work on what they refer to as Clandestine Dining, a great idea, of choosing venues, partners and foods that reflect a sense of adventure, sustainability, creativity, and a variety of other 'ity's' that you can read about. They are a perfect example of what can make a simple dinner in San Francisco delightful.<br />
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<a href="http://www.almanacbeer.com/">Almanac Brewing</a> is one of my favorite breweries right now. They brew a series of ales, based upon seasonal produce and a crazy sense of adventure. Although the ales feature liberal use of fruit, there is definitely craft at work, as these brews are hand made and use great ingredients. Their mantra of 'farm to barrel' really shines through. Although I am not a fan of their Pale Ale, I seek out their other ales, such as the soon to be released Chocolat, which is an amazing brew. <br />
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In any event, on to the event. First off, was a reception and shoot around at the Pacific Rod and Gun Club in San Francisco, yes, a shooting club in San Francisco. We each had the opportunity to shoot a fine shotgun, eat some prosciutto and generally carry on like monied gentlemen, and ladies, blasting hapless clay pigeons from the air. I discovered, that from when I was 18, to some 34 years later, I still pull the gun and hit 50%. I shall await my return to the line at 86, with higher expectations.<br />
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Course One...<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/scallopceviche_zps39b9f051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/scallopceviche_zps39b9f051.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Scallop Ceviche, Nasturtium Leaf, Yama Imo Chips, Mojo Verde, Pickled Ramps </i></div>
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This was a wonderful opener, the scallops were cooked in the acids beautifully and the pairing was with Almanac's Honey Saison Farmhouse Ale. They use a local Bay Area honey to flavor the ale. This is an interesting point, that the dinner was completely paired with beers, and not wines. The same rules for pairing beers and ales to food, as to pairing wines to food. These were some fine considerations in the dinner.<br />
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Course Two...<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/asparagus_zps55c5af2e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/asparagus_zps55c5af2e.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Asparagus, Burrata, Meyer Mostarda, Shaved Fennel</i></div>
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This was paired with an as yet unreleased ale, the Farmhouse Number 4 Barrel Aged Sour with Meyer Lemons, Oranges and Buddha's Hand Citron. This ale takes a lot of aromatics and bitterness from being aged over the citrus, which are whole when the ale is added. These overall effect is a sour ale, with a bitter edge, but, not the bitterness commonly found in hops. It was a beautiful complement to asparagus, a notoriously hard pairing for wine. If you are wondering, that stuff that looks like jam is the Mostarda, a Meyer Lemon preserve that is blended with ground mustard seed.<br />
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Course Three...<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/wheatberries_zpsd1704b76.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/wheatberries_zpsd1704b76.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Catalan Style Wheat Berries, Trumpet Mushrooms, Secret Vinaigrette, Baby Kale </i></div>
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This was one of the real stars of the dinner, paired with Almanac's Barrel Noir, an aged Dark Ale that is aged in a bourbon barrel. This is not a hoppy brew, it is what I call a brewer's ale, in that it is all about malts, brewing techniques and aging, without the over-bearing hoppiness that has come to be all too common in craft brewing. Smooth and deeply flavored, it complemented the kale, wheat berries and vinaigrette nicely. As for secret, well, some things are best left unsaid.<br />
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Course Four...<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/quail_zpsa12a8f6e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="490" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/quail_zpsa12a8f6e.jpg" width="640" /> </a><i>5-Spice Quail, Green Strawberries, Tangerine, Thai Basil </i></div>
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Now, my nemesis, I really have not liked quail in the past. No surprise, this was well, still quail, and I still do not like quail. However, to carry on, it was paired with a Farmer's Reserve Number 3, Barrel aged sour with strawberries and nectarines. And it complemented the richness of the quail beautifully, the strawberry adding tartness and the nectarines's aroma working through the dishes richness. I ate just enough to determine that A) I felt the match was excellent and B) I hate quail.<br />
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Course Five...<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/shortrib_zpsc861e404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="496" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/shortrib_zpsc861e404.jpg" width="640" /> </a><i>Porter Braised Beef Cheek, Rancho Gordo Hominy, Pickled Onions, Cilantro </i></div>
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Now we are talking, back to beef, and not that rotten quail. This was served with, and cooked in, Almanac's Bier de Chocolat, a Porter brewed with cocoa nibs from Dandelion Chocolate (yes, the Au Curant flame of all S.F. Food snobs, except apparently me). This was so tender and rich, the porter lending it's flavors to the beef, the hominy coarsely mashed, some still crunchy on top, and the tart pickled onions, an excellent match for what has to be one of the most chocolately Chocolate brews I have ever had. Also not yet released, this is an ale that will be worth seeking out if you like chocolate and beer.<br />
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Course 6...<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/cheese_zpsea4d41ee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/cheese_zpsea4d41ee.jpg" width="640" /> </a><i>Cheese! </i></div>
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Essentially the ending was cheese. And to be honest, I cannot remember what the cheese was, but, it was delicious. It was served with Almanac's Dry Hopped Pale Ale with Mandarins. It was a good match, the hoppy and light textured Pale Ale matching the rich and sweet tastes on the cheese plate. Now, this was a good match, it makes perfect sense from a food point of view. But, if you remember way up top, I said I think the Pale Ale in not to my taste, this held true here. It was still just a hop centric pale ale, a good one, but, not distinctive enough for what had preceded it. I do love a hop-centric ale, but, much like a huge Cabernet, it is often a feature drink to me, not a pairing drink.<br />
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It was an excellent meal, and the Brewers and Chef's did themselves proud. I am actually looking forward to joining them again, perhaps at their weekly seating, at Off the Grid, yes, these guys cook a seated meal, with cocktails, at a food truck event. Every single dish, except the quail, was executed with utmost care and technique, these guys rocked that kitchen. Okay, maybe the quail was perfect, who cares? It quail. Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-9274836504170729632013-05-07T19:07:00.000-07:002013-05-07T19:07:05.390-07:00The Last of my Heroes ( not food by a long shot )<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">My heroes were
never the men you saw everyday on the television, batting some ball around, running
for a goal, or wooing some beautiful starlet in some fantasy world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know it is popular to say that now, but,
when I was growing up, in the 1960’s and 1970’s, it was very common to hold on
high a great athlete, a handsome movie star, or perhaps a world figure. Surely,
I admired men such as Willie Mays, Paul Newman or even someone truly
influential, such as Martin Luther King. But, there men were abstract entities;
they lived in newsprint, and electrons and stories I heard from other people,
no more real than the stories in movies. They did not live in my life, I didn’t
touch them, relate to them, and they didn’t live my life. My heroes were men
like my grandfather, my dad, my uncles, and the circle of men that surrounded
the daily lives we lived on the nursery and in Richmond, California. We would
tag along, as my dad went to market in San Francisco, or to other nurseries to ‘check
on things’, even at church, these men seemed to be a breed apart. Tough,
rugged, enduring, especially the old men, my grandfather’s generation, all
immigrants, who left Japan, to some to a land where there was no Little Italy
or German Town, just land and a dream. And they endured. And there is the
sadness of today.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">For in truth,
they could not endure forever. One by one, time took the elders, then their successors
and eventually my greatest heroes,first was my Uncle Heizo, who made sure I
knew what ‘the good life’ was, and let me know that being an iconoclast was
okay; then my Uncle Roy, who was always there, and who showed me what true humility
was, as we never knew until after he died, that he had been a decorated Captain
in the Army; then my first and best hero, my dad Saburo Fukushima, who I have
yet to prove wrong about anything, who showed me that a man is greatest when he
is most gentle; then my mother’s brother Henry Kawai, the youngest men of their
generation; the last of them, Tom Oishi, my dad’s lifelong friend was buried
last week. Tom was an amazing friend, and loyal to the core, an example that no
matter what, you stand by your friends.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">For me, what was
always a great truth, that the heroes of my youth were living and breathing
men, who called me Bobby, and saw me not as an old man, but, as a boy, who were
always there to talk and support me, that truth is no more. With the last man
down, the circle of real life heroes, men who grew a living from Richmond soil
are merely memories, now to become legend, for me to touch back to. These were
the men whose respect I most desired, to have my dad and uncle, to have the men
they respected, accept me, which was what I worked for. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">When I was a
boy, the men who ran the community I grew up in, my world, were of my
grandfathers, Sango Fukushima and Goro Kawai’s generation. These men built
businesses, and along with those businesses, they build a community. Stores,
churches, schools and in some cases, even the roads and towns; but, most importantly,
they built a community of families that supported each other through many hard
times. They built this community by pulling life from the earth. And their sons
and daughters did the same. My dad’s generation built the foundation of a life,
which allowed my generation to go to college, to get off the farm, to live the
American Dream in all of its glory. There were many men who did this, and I got
to know many of them, and I like to think I earned a little of that respect
from them, that I so dearly wanted. However, nothing endures forever, our
bodies are fragile, much like the plants we grew, like the roses and
carnations, that so quickly fade, our bodies fail even as our influence in life
grows. There are still a few of my father’s generation around, such as my great
friend and benefactor Flora Ninomiya, perhaps the youngest of the Nisei rose
growers, my mom's childhood friend and a fine nurseryperson, whose sad honor it has been to eulogize all of her colleagues. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">But, of these men I idolized, in their khaki’s, weathered hands and
faces, who smell vaguely of a sweet mix of sweat and flowers, I have only my
memories and a few faded photographs. I search for a
clever ending, some device of words, to close this little self-indulgent and
misplaced essay, which I publish on a food blog, but, there is nothing more
than to say, that the last of my heroes is gone today.</span></div>
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-39381265682116722042013-05-03T09:46:00.000-07:002013-05-03T09:46:03.316-07:00The House of Prime RibI don't do restaurant reviews, it's not my gig. And I don't happen to think that the House of Prime Rib is in any way related to Pacific Rim BBQ. But, this is more about the reviewer.<br />
<br />
When my mom and dad got married, back in the 1950's, they had little in the way of money, but, friends and family came together and gave them a night or two of living extravagantly. A night at the Claremont Hotel, and dinner at the House of Prime Rib. Through the years, especially during the very lean years, my mom would recall the dinner at that restaurant and how luxurious and elegant it was, how everything was so special. She would describe in detail how the meal unfolded and how it felt so special, she would talk about the 'someday' that we would all go there again. That day never came, it seemed that it was always just outside of our grasp, and what little money that did not go to day to day, went to enriching our minds. It remained a gap in my dining card, in some ways, because it was not meant to be my experience alone.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, I got a call, around 5pm, that a couple of dining friends had decided that they had to go to the House of Prime Rib. And that I had to go with them. It seemed to be the time. My dining credentials do not want, if it is San Francisco or the East Bay, I am not short on the great food I have eaten, but, this was the hole in my cred. So, I was in, time to see what the experience would be, although, how could it be the same. Modern dining is not the same.<br />
<br />
I was wrong. It was as if I had dined there all my life, each phase of the evening unfolded as if I had been there dozens of times, it was as familiar as hearing my mom's voice walking me through the room. From the cocktail mixed and served in the mixing glass, the shaker top still in place, to the salad spun table side and all the way through, each experience was totally familiar. And clearly elevated, in a classic manner, it was beautiful women and handsome men in jackets and trousers, old men in tuxedoes and suits, each catering to the table. The trolley is old, and the design hearkens to mid-Century Art Deco, it might well date to the 1940's. Beautifully cooked Prime Rib, a huge and blemish free baked potato, and an iceberg, beet and egg salad, nothing daring, nothing farm to table, nothing but a classic dinner. I should have worn a suit.<br />
<br />
I can imagine how this must have felt to my mom and dad, who grew up on dirt roads in Richmond, California. One day married, eating in this classic dining room, catered to with table side service. The best dining is when you can connect, whether it is with the people you share the table with, or the ghosts of your youth, when the experience feeds your being, and not just your appetite, it becomes something you never forget. I get it now mom.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-16419478071935336732013-04-07T19:35:00.003-07:002013-04-07T19:35:54.631-07:00Gobs of PorkI was going to be running the UDS today, and since it makes little sense to run it for just one piece of meat, I decided to add some pork to my cook schedule. And since I was doing that, why not do a little creative cooking. So I found a really nice pork butt, took off a couple pounds for making char siu and the rest would be cooked to make Pulled 'Carnitas'-style pork. This meant the butt would be smoked with no rub at all. Here it is, ready to do, such an easy preparation. My friend Sir Porks A Lot would be proud, no rub.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/buttnaked-raw_zpsf6ff09d6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/buttnaked-raw_zpsf6ff09d6.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pretty much that is ready to go </span></i></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/charsiu-raw_zps9b07e766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/charsiu-raw_zps9b07e766.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Strips of marinated pork butt </span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
The other parts received a marinade, so it could be smoked up as char siu (Chinese BBQ Pork). This was done the night before and allowed to rest over night in the fridge. Then it all went onto the smoker, at 250F for 2 hours. Then the butt went into a Dutch oven that had 2 stalks of celery, 5 stalks of green onion, 1/2 yellow onion, 2 limes and a few cloves of garlic. Covered and back into the smoker. Started at 250F, but, I had opened the intakes to ramp up heat. After an hour, things were at 275F and the char siu was colored up and ready to come off. Along with the marinade, 3 hours of smoke left these tender, juicy and beautifully colored. I did remove the cover from the DO, so the liquid would evaporate. The Char siu worked out great, so great, I decided to snack on it and ignore the smoker.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/charsiu-done_zpsfabb7931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/charsiu-done_zpsfabb7931.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Hunks of char siu, and a turkey loaf </i></span></div>
<br />
Did I mention the turkey loaf? No? Well, maybe because it sucked! Dry as popcorn farts! But that Chinese BBQ Pork was great. Onto the Phase Two, which I had forgotten about, the cooker had spiked wickedly hot, got it controlled to 375F, but, that was for two hours. No problems, as it turns out, BBQ is just not a 'down to the second' process. Around four hours, I removed the bone and around 5 hours the pork had rendered down into chunks of tender, caramelized pork.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/pork-done_zpse1241043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/pork-done_zpse1241043.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Looks pretty good </i></span></div>
<br />
Texture and flavor are right where I wanted them. These shred easily, but, hold their form rather nicely when handled. The flavor is savory and well balanced with the lime adding some nice sweetness as well. These will probably end up as dinner tomorrow.<br />
<br />
Char-siu marinade:<br />
2 tablespoons Hoisin Sauce<br />
2tablesoons Soy Sauce (dark or regular, not light and never lite)<br />
1.5 tablespoons whiskey<br />2 tablespoons Agave syrup or glucose syrup<br />
1 teaspoon salt (which I forgot to add)<br />
1 teaspoon catsup<br />
1.5 tablespoons minced garlic<br />
1/4 cup honey<br />
<br />
Mix first seven ingredients and place in a sealable pan or zip sealing bag. The honey is to glaze the pork in the last 15 to 30 minutes of the cook.<br />
<br />
Bone a pork butt, you can use up to 2 lbs of meat for this amount of
marinade. Cut boned butt into 3" thick strips. Try to remove large hunks
of fat. Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-62173858635288607462013-04-06T19:22:00.001-07:002013-04-06T19:22:29.781-07:00Egg Foo Young, nuthin' fancy hereTonight, nothing fancy, if you grew up in 1960's or 1970's America, you knew this dish. It was a staple of the Cantonese restaurants the popped up throughout the vernacular landscape of America. Like Chop Suey, these were dishes that were more typical to America than to China. Yet, this is the place I grew up, and this is one of those dishes that define comfort for me. In truth, it is an simple, hearty and delicious plate of food, something people doing manual labor would welcome.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/eggfooyung_zps3f265738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/eggfooyung_zps3f265738.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Old-style Comfort, Chinese-American style </i></span></div>
<br />
My version, like the original features egg as a binder and the main protein, a small amount of shrimp for taste and aroma and a load of vegetables. A normally simple brown gravy would top this dish, I kinda riffed on that, as I had a few things to use up.<br />
<br />
<u>Egg Foo Young Egg:</u><br />
3 XL eggs, whipped<br />
1.5 teaspoons flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1-2 dashes dark soy sauce<br />
1/2 teaspoon Hoisin <br />
<br />
Combine all ingredients, let sit at room temperature.<br />
<br />
<u>Egg Foo Young Filling:</u><br />
3 stalks scallions, green sliced, white chopped, separated<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger<br />
1-1/2 cups bean sprouts<br />
2 Shiitake mushrooms coarsely chopped<br />
1/4 cup finely diced celery<br />
<br />
Toss all ingredients in a hot wok to wilt vegetables. Limp but still with a little crunch. Remove and cool. Add to egg mixture.<br />
<br />
Egg Foo Young Gravy:<br />
1.5 cups chicken broth, or water<br />
1 teaspoon beef base (or demi-glace, go crazy!)<br />
1 tablespoon Dark soy sauce<br />
1 tablespoon Hoisin, or half/half Hoisin and Doenjang (fermented bean paste) <br />
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce<br />
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar<br />
1/2 teaspoon agave syrup or glucose syrup<br />
3 tablespoons cold water<br />
2 teaspoons corn starch <br />
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Heat first 7 ingredients up to combine to a low simmer. Once it is at a simmer, combine cornstarch and water, add to other ingredients and simmer to thicken.<br />
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Too cook the omelets, I like to add a little bit of the egg to coat the vegetables, and keep the rest of the egg mix separate. Using a wok, add 1/2 inch of oil to the bottom, you may need more as time goes on. Add 1/5 of the vegetables to the hot oil and pour some of the egg over the vegetables. Let it fry over low heat until the omelet forms on the bottom. Add a little egg mixture to the top and flip over. With a little practice, this is easier by flipping the wok. Cook until golden brown. Store under a low broiler and repeat process until done. Serve over rice.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-24823121513068069582013-03-29T11:13:00.001-07:002013-03-29T11:13:09.106-07:00Loco Moco, with a twistHey, it's Hawaiian food, the most natural Fusion cuisine in the world, they have borrowed from just about every cuisine in the world, to come up with something that speaks just to the island. But, I wanted to try out a new rub, then there was the fact that this dish normally lacks any vegetable matter at all. I was going to eat this for dinner, so it needed something. I came up with this.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/lm1_zpsc9229df0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/lm1_zpsc9229df0.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Da' Grinds! </span></i></div>
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For starters, you need some rice, easy enough, standard Japanese rice cook implemented, then the hamburger patty. I went with a local source, grass finished Northcoast beef, with a rub from Ted & Barney's. They are a local Humboldt County butcher shop turned rub merchant. In the bottle, it looks a lot like salt and pepper and not much else. I figured it would be close to a Santa Maria-style rub. I seasoned the meat, with what I thought was too much rub, small shaker mishap, as it were. Still forge on, assume it will be too salty, I guess. Let the rub sit for a bit, while other prep work was done. A little Japanese, a little American, a little Humboldt County influence.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/burger-raw_zpsa87a4377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/burger-raw_zpsa87a4377.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Too Much Rub? </i></span></div>
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I also wanted those greens, so I prepped up some baby Pak Choy, some yellow onion and a couple cloves of garlic. This was to be a fairly simple stir-fry, really trying to let the pak choi shine with a little garlic kick. California/Chinese influences here.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>See, Healthy </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Done, still crispy </i></span></div>
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Then there was the gravy, normally it should be a beef stock/base type of gravy preparation, but, that would be too easy. So, I went with some bacon ends for fat and flavor, and cooked them slowly to aid in building a fond in the pan, then flour, onions, lots of black pepper, and parsley were added to create some depth of flavor. A mixture of 25% milk and 75% water to bring the gravy to the proper thickness. Going for the Southern influence here.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Mmmm, not so healthy </i></span></div>
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From there, all that was left was assembly, a ring of rice, the pak choi in the middle, then burger, gravy and the required fried egg on top. I have to say, I decided to test a chunk of the second burger plain, and the Ted & Barney's rub was surprisingly not over-applied, it was nicely balanced and for something with just four ingredients, it was more than the sum of it's parts. I will probably go ahead and try it on a tri-tip at some point. It will definitely have a spot in my rub box.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Standard blogger too close to the food shot </i></span></div>
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I love runny eggs and rice, the seasoning on this was spot on, with the simple greens adding both a needed crunch and vegetal edge to the dish that is otherwise lacking. Overall, even as it is a Fusion dish, apparently a dirty word in professional kitchens, each of the flavors was well developed and individually strong, but, added to the whole. It's good eating, sort of Island-style.<br />
<br />Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-11060191289550340252013-03-15T11:32:00.000-07:002013-03-15T11:32:14.354-07:00Smoked Pork Rib RamenWhat to do with leftover ribs, especially after eating them for two meals. Well, I like to make a basic broth from smoked meats from time to time. So, ramen seemed like a good idea, and it would be lighter than how I have been eating. A good choice all the way around.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/bowlramen_zpsa717a4ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/bowlramen_zpsa717a4ad.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A Bowl of Noodles </i></span></div>
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Although many ramen snobs of late love to talk of the noodles, the key to me, for a great bowl of ramen comes down to the broth and the tare. One of the problems with using smoked meats for broth is that they actually produce an overly smokey, and consequently, simple tasting stock. Things need to be added. I built the broth with the use of blackened scallions, ginger, garlic, three bones of the smoked ribs, and a few flavor enhancers.<br />
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I started with 3 bones from the leftover rack of ribs, these were boiled at a full boil for 15 minutes, water being added as needed to keep the pan filled. As could be predicted, the resultant liquid was smoky and porky, two high notes then nothing. I had blackened some scallions, the white parts only, to add a bit of depth and color. The entire bunch was blackened then coarsely chopped and added to the broth.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Need more burn! </i></span></div>
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I decided to go a little more fragrant, so added 2 cloves of garlic, cracked, and about a teaspoon sized chunk of ginger, smashed, as well as 3 shiitake mushrooms. This was all reduced to simmer for 15 minutes, then an additional layer of flavor, in the form of shoyu and fish sauce, about 2 tablespoons of each. This last addition was both about salt and umami. That being done, I added 1 cup of the broth to a small pan, added in four shiitake, 1 teaspoon of Agave syrup, 2 more tablespoons of shoyu and a teaspoon of Tonkatsu sauce. This was both to cook the mushrooms and make the tare, a flavorful syrup, which adds punch to the broth. I reduced the tare by 2/3, once the mushrooms were cooked and removed. At that point, I added some toasted sesame oil, just a little.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/smokedribstock_zps6de10c7a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/smokedribstock_zps6de10c7a.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Broth, about halfway there </span></i></div>
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/tare_zpsc8329a86.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/tare_zpsc8329a86.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Tare, ready to go</i></span></div>
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From there, it was time for the other elements...<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/shiiitake_zpsc41a9843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/shiiitake_zpsc41a9843.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Shiitake mushrooms braised in tare</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Wilted bean sprouts </i></span></div>
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/kalebraise_zps0f792565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/kalebraise_zps0f792565.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Kale, braised in broth</i></span> </div>
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The mushrooms were slice, the bean sprouts wilted just enough to reduce the beany quality they can have, although these were quite fresh. The kale was a last minute substitute. I had wanted Mitsuba, but none could be found, so I wanted Mizuna, which I found, but, when I opened up the bag, it was bad, so on to the kale, which was leftover from last week, and which apparently does not go bad very fast at all. Things were assmebled in the bowl, along with a few shreds of the ribs.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/drybowl_zpscabf3402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/drybowl_zpscabf3402.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Ready to be dr<span style="font-size: x-small;">owned</span></i></span></div>
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From here, just pour the broth on, add the tare and I opted to add some rayu (spicy sesame oil) and Yuzu-Pao, sort of a Sriracha with Ponzu added condiment. I add the tare both before and after the broth, the get more flavor into the mix.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/closeupbowl_zpsf2924c62.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/closeupbowl_zpsf2924c62.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Broth shot-payoff time </i></span></div>
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Hopefully, you can see that the tare is still coating some of the toppings, and you can see the broth has a nice color. The overall effect was of a rich, lightly spicy and complex broth, supported by vegetables and noodles. I have not talked much about the noodles, although I love hand made noodles, I truly believe that chuka soba barely cooked, or fresh chow mein noodles from the store do just fine in supporting the broth and tare. And as for the kale, it worked great in ramen, who knew?<br />
Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-65745815136687825002013-03-03T21:05:00.001-08:002013-03-03T21:05:13.571-08:00Gyoza Night, home made skinsSo, I decided to make gyoza, that most famous of Japanese dumplings. And to make it more interesting, I decided to make it with home made dumpling skins. I have a couple of recipes, and it could not, on the surface, be any easier. A basic hot water dough and some quick kneading. The dumpling skin is based upon a rather simple Chinese noodle recipe, that involves nothing more than water and flour.<br />
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<u>Dumpling Skins:</u><br />
2 cups all purpose flour + 1/2 cup for dusting and such<br />
1-1/4 cups boiling water<br />
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Basically, after boiling the water, I added about 3/4 cup of the water to the 2 cups of flour, mixed this together to form a dough, I found that I needed about 1/4 cup more of the water I had allowed for. Once this came together, and it is a dry dough at this time, I turned it from the bowl and kneaded it for around 4 minutes (this was a mistake). Once this became somewhat smooth and elastic, I divided into halves and wrapped in plastic to rest. After a one hour rest, I rolled each half into a long snake, and evenly cut it into 24 pieces. Here is where I got lazy and gave into the call of my KitchenAid pasta rollers. Each piece was rolled into a ball, given a quick smash by hand them rolled through the machine. I should have gone thinner, more on this later. Here is what I ended up with.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>So Far So Good </i></span></div>
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They are far from perfect, hey, it is my first time. Lessons learned, I over kneaded, the gluten just would not relax, the dough was a little tough. Also, I prefer a thinner skin than these, the problem was that gluten. I think next time, I will knead for maybe 1-2 minutes.<br />
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To the stuffing, I originally thought these would be vegetarian, but, once I decided to go with home made skins, I ditched the experimental vegetarian stuffing and went with my usual pork and shrimp dumpling stuffing. Essentially, just a load of veggies, ground pork and finely minced shrimp. I prefer the texture a little loose, so all the vegetables are hand cut.<br />
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Dumpling Filling:<br />
1/4 pound ground pork<br />
1/4 pound wild shrimp, finely minced<br />
2 cups chopped cabbage<br />
1/4 cup finely chopped carrot<br />
1/4 cup finely chopped scallion, white parts only <br />
5 medium Shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped<br />
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3 tablespoons Mitsuba, Parsley or Cilantro<br />
1-1/2 teaspoons corn starch<br />
2 cups water<br />
3 tablespoons shoyu<br />
2 tablespoons sake<br />
1/2 teaspoon sugar<br />
1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce<br />
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Mix the cornstarch, pork and shrimp together. Set aside. In a small saucepan, combine liquid ingredients and add mushrooms. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms and finely chop for stuffing. Reserve mushroom cooking water. Combine all vegetables, mushrooms and meats, season with 2 tablespoons of the mushroom cooking water that has been reduced by half. Set aside to cool.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Dumpling Filling</i></span></div>
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From here, the assembly goes painfully slowly if you are me, and it goes quickly if you are one of those dexterous people. You can see that the filling I use is a coarser texture and it not as agglomerated as many commercial versions, I like the texture and the way the flavors are not all mashed together in a food processor. In any event, except for the over-developed gluten and thickness, it was a lot easier to work with fresh wrappers. They folded and sealed much better and once I get the kneading down, this is the way to go. Here they are all in all their rustic, irregular glory.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/dumplings1_zps21950d69.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/dumplings1_zps21950d69.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Into the pool everyone </i></span></div>
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The process from here, is pretty straightforward as well. I used a very good non-stick pan, I like the Bialetti pans, best non-stick I have found. A little oil to brown the bottoms of the dumplings, then once brown, throw in about 1/4 cup of water and cover to steam.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/pandumps_zps8388522e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/pandumps_zps8388522e.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Browning nicely </i></span></div>
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I ended up using two pans, and this went pretty quickly. The overall cook went exactly as expected and the dumpling skins cooked up as expected. Despite their obviously excessive thickness. I also think I don't like the folds on my gyoza, won't do that again. Still, it was good food.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/dumpling3_zps03e8d532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/dumpling3_zps03e8d532.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Gyoza, Kimchi, Rice and Dip </i></span></div>
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A nice dipping sauce was assembled using the mushroom cooking water, some vinegar and a little extra sugar, and a dash of sesame oil to add body. Some chopped green onions were added as well. On the plate, you can see I drizzled some Togarashi Rayu oil over the gyoza, I also decided some kimchi and rice was in order. I love the sweet/salty/savory/heat that rolls through the palate with these combinations of foods. The kimchi also brings sour and crunchy to the plate, really hitting all of what we love in food to the plate.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/dumplings2x_zpsa75dbad6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/dumplings2x_zpsa75dbad6.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>In Section </i></span></div>
<br />'Here you can see the thickness, this is actually acceptable for things such as potstickers, but, I prefer a thinner skin for gyoza. Still, the texture was excellent and the flavor was right there. The overall taste was balanced with the vegetables being up front and center, the meat added depth and complexity. Overall, this was delicious, the next batch, I know just where to go. Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8398536515788384770.post-5184856537478258772013-02-21T19:14:00.001-08:002013-02-21T19:14:31.794-08:00Tri-tip TsukemenWell, now that I am once again running my smoker, I found some time to make a couple of tri-tip roasts. I smoked them (<a href="http://smoke-n-brew.blogspot.com/2013/02/tri-tip-sliders-and-i-can-cook-again.html">see that process described here</a>) and tried to keep them fairly rare to medium rare. One of them had great marbling, and this gave me the idea that it would be great eaten sliced paper thin and eaten on the cool side, Tsukemen came to mind. For those not in the know, Tsukemen literally means 'dipping noodles', and it is a relatively recently developed style of eating ramen.<br />
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Unlike the ubiquitous ramen known to most Americans, tsukemen does not lend itself to packaging in small cellophane packets, and since it is a combination of cold noodles and hot broth, it is not as common and the more accessible hot noodle soup most of us think of when the word ramen is mentioned.<br />
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First off, I prepared a nice soup, this needs to be a strongly flavored soup, as it will be the primary flavoring for the dish. I took 3 cups of water, 1/4 cup of shoyu, 1/8 cup of Red Boat Fish Sauce, a teaspoon of agave syrup, a chunk of smoked brisket fat, about 3 to 4 ounces of the hard bark and fat from a previous cook and adding all of these together, I brought it to a boil. To this, I added the peels and trimmed ends from a large carrot, and some green onion trimmings. At the last minute, I added some Rayu Sesame Oil, a spicy oil that is also quite aromatic. This broth was then sprinkled with Mitsuba (called Japanese Parsley by some) and sliced scallions.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/ramenbroth_zpsc99cf548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/ramenbroth_zpsc99cf548.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Broth served very hot </i></span></div>
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In the end, as you can see, there was a little over 2 cups of the broth. Next was the boiling of the noodles, in this case, I was able to get some fresh steamed Chinese alkali noodles, used often for making chow mein and similar types of noodle dishes, it is a great analog for the ramen noodles used in Japanese cookery and is more easily found. These were boiled until just cooked, then shocked in an ice water bath. For this dish, the noodles need to be rinsed and chilled, the ice water bath does this quite nicely. Nobody wants over cooked or gummy cold noodles. I also sprinkled a little sliced scallion onto the noodles.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/noodles_zpsef94b6f1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/noodles_zpsef94b6f1.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Chilled for serving </i></span></div>
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Finally, the only thing left was to prepare some vegetables for use in dipping with the noodles. This is almost like preparing a salad, without the dressing. First, the aforementioned paper thin slices of tri-tip, yes I am liking my new meat slicing knife. Then some blanched julienne of carrots, some blanched bean sprouts, some raw Nappa cabbage and some mushrooms that had been boiled in the soup, to fortify the dipping soup and soften the Shiitake mushrooms. I was really happy to see that the tri-tip had retained both it's marbling and was quite close to rare. This made for the perfect texture once it was dipped in the very hot soup.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/veggiesmeat_zpsb3ac6f56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/veggiesmeat_zpsb3ac6f56.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Accompaniment </span></i></div>
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Unlike most ramen dishes, I believe Tsukemen has no single great note, all of the ingredients must be right for the overall dish to really sing. In blanching the carrots, I am trying to soften the thin julienne just a bit, and start the process of brightening the sweetness, the bean sprouts are heated just enough to soften that beany quality, but, to maintain most of the crispness. This dish ends up being all about the contrasts of the hot and cold, sweet, salty, herbal and savory and about the textures, at first crisp, or tender, lean then fatty, it is a wonderful dish that is not well known enough here. I tried to get a dipping shot, however, I am right handed and cannot use hashi left handed, nor can I apparently focus my camera using my left hand only. Almost...<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/IMG_3505_zps19f15b9f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/IMG_3505_zps19f15b9f.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Focus! </i></span></div>
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Ah well, that is clear enough to illustrate how I eat it. Others eat it the more normal way, of eating the noodles or the vegetable and meat separately. It all works great. I like to shove it all into the bowl, the grab the whole lot and then eat the whole mess at once.<br />
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<a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/bowled_zps5d9f9101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u105/landarc/bowled_zps5d9f9101.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Ready for the Dipping </i></span></div>
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Overall, a nice dinner, without too much gluttony. I think I get a Girl Scout cookie as I ate lots of vegetables.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04777038095251149758noreply@blogger.com0