I stare at food all day. At least recipes and photos of food. Some days I get the “cooking bug” and want to rush home to whip up the various dishes that inspired me, others times I just get a bit overwhelmed by it all. When that happens it’s either a quick stop at the market to pick up a roasted chicken or heading home and yanking something out of the freezer.

Last night was an “I’m-too-tired-to-cook-and-we-don’t-have-anything-in-the-fridge” kind of night. So Barnaby took charge. He opened the freezer, pulled out a bag of edamame (soy beans) and some sashimi-grade albacore tuna, and looked at me and said, “Oh, there’s always something in the freezer.” My contribution was putting rice and water into the rice cooker, pushing the “Cook” button and pouring us glasses of wine. That’s about all the energy I could muster up.

True to Barnaby’s form, he produced yet another fantastic meal in no time flat. He boiled the edamame, then pureed them with a bit of white miso and mirin.

He gave the tuna a quick sear on both sides, then sliced it thin and laid it on top of the rice. For added color and flavor he sprinkled it with a bit of furikake.

Healthy, delicious and quick! All I had to do was drink my glass of wine and wait!

Possibly Related Posts:

• Winter Squash is Delicious, Healthy, and in Season
• The World’s Most Neglected Wines (Part One): Australian Riesling
• Moorish Badenjan Dip
• Salmon with Chanterelles and Slow Cooked Tomatoes
• Celebrating Chanterelles

Categories:	Asian • Fish & Seafood • Japanese • Veggies	Leave a Comment
Tags:	albacore • Asian • edamame • edamame puree • fish • Japanese • miso • puree • seared tuna • tuna

I don’t know any better way to say it than “my mom rocks.” Really, she does. She has an amazing sense of style, is smart, beautiful, and at 5 feet and one half inch I can almost fit her in my pocket. But, like me, she rounds up and says she’s 5′1″ (I tower over her at 5 and three  quarters, I mean, 5′4″). The little lady can also whip up some serious magic in the kitchen. Her chicken mole is so good you’d think you were in Oaxaca. She can create Asian meals so delicious you’d swear the chef was native. And I mean any kind of Asian food: Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, you name it. She just has a knack.

When I was in the 8th grade she spent what I remember as three solid days preparing what must have been considered an Imperial feast. I don’t remember who she invited or what the celebration was, all I know is she went to China for three weeks with her sister and came back part Chinese. Actually, I think she was probably Chinese in a previous life and was connected with her long lost Chinese spirit while touring the Great Wall. At least that’s what I tell her. Good thing, too, because she channels that spirit and cooks up some darn tasty morsels!

I was talking to her the other night and she told me about these spinach and pork wontons she’d made for dinner. My cell phone almost shorted out from all my drooling. So I made her send me a picture so I could share it with you. “Oh, and I added the recipe to Foodista, too!” she exclaimed proudly.

God I love that woman.

Here’s the recipe:

Possibly Related Posts:

• Winter Squash is Delicious, Healthy, and in Season
• Breadfruit Coconut Curry
• Halloween Cocktails
• Halloween Drinks for Kids
• A Chance to go to the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen

Categories:	Asian • Beverages • Fruit • Meat & Poultry • Veggies	1 Comment
Tags:	Asian • chinese • pork • spinach • wontons

What kind of food lover am I?! I completely missed Chinese New Year this year!  Next year I swear I’ll do better (and it’s on Valentine’s Day, so I know I won’t miss it). I had these wonderfully grandiose plans to create an exotic multi-course meal, each dish symbolic and auspicious and all that good stuff. But alas, we’d just returned from the Sundance Film Festival with nasty colds and, unable to taste nary a thing, we wanted nothing but chicken soup for days.

So in order to pay homage to any deities that I may have scorned during the celebrations I thought I would whip up some semblance of a respectful noodle dish. Let me preface by saying I know nothing-nada-niente about Chinese cooking. I am, as the expression goes, whiter than white on rice. I will unabashedly admit that for a layman I am somewhat brilliant when it comes to Japanese fare, but Chinese – nope, not at all. So if you’re Chinese please keep that in mind and forgive my feeble attempts at your lovely cuisine. Let’s call it Fusion Chinese or something to save face.

Jaden from Steamy Kitchen (one of my most fave blogs) inspired me to make noodles, a symbol of long life, with her Garlic Scallion Noodles dish. I grabbed what I had on hand in my fridge and threw together this tasty dish.  I sauteed a bunch of crushed garlic and ginger, then tossed in the vegetable noodles. I added a bit of oyster and hoisin sauce and a splash of toasted sesame oil. In a separate skillet I sauteed the snow peas, then the prawns. I made a little nest of the noodles, lined it with the snow peas and laid the prawns on top. I garnished the dish with a bit of black sesame seeds and we were ready to eat!

Possibly Related Posts:

• The World’s Most Neglected Wines (Part One): Australian Riesling
• Salmon with Chanterelles and Slow Cooked Tomatoes
• Celebrating Chanterelles
• Porcini Ravioli With Sage Brown Butter
• Eating Local in the Northwest

Categories:	Asian • Fish & Seafood • Pasta & Grains • Sauces • Shellfish	3 Comments
Tags:	Asian • chinese • chinese new year • garlic • ginger • noodles • shrimp • vegetable noodles

I call these Coconut Shrimp Salad Rolls, but those are only two of the tasty ingredients wrapped up in thin rice paper. Frankly, Coconut Shrimp Ginger Carrot Lime Cilantro And More Rolls was just too long. I could have also called these Mieng Kum Rolls, but I think my title is more “user-friendly.”

But, in fact, that’s just about what these rolls are, mieng kum, all wrapped up in rice paper instead of a leaf. Mieng kum is a delicious Thai dish that packs nearly every flavor in one punch. These wonderful, healthy salad rolls were inspired by that dish.

Coconut Shrimp Salad Rolls

Just wing it with the amounts of each ingredient. Balance the flavors to adjust to you liking. If you want more ginger, add more ginger. Spicier? Toss in a few more chilies.

Shrimp, cooked and cut into pieces
Toasted coconut
Grated carrot
Ginger, finely chopped
Lime, sliced into tiny pieces with the rind on
Cilantro, chopped
Shallots or red onion (adds nice color), finely diced
1-2 Thai chili peppers (or any spicy pepper will do), finely chopped
Rice paper sheets

Toss the ingredients in a bowl. Fill a deep, flat dish with about 1/2″ of water. Place one sheet of rice paper in the water until it softens, then gently remove the sheet and place on a paper towel. Pat off excess water. Like you’re making a burrito, place the mixture in row on the sheet, fold in the sides, and roll.

Sprinkle some crushed peanuts and whole cilantro leaves on top and serve with peanut dipping sauce.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Seared Albacore With Edamame Miso Puree
• Hunger Awareness Week Day 1
• Spinach and Pork Wontons
• Noodles With Prawns And Snow Peas
• Homemade Kimchi

Categories:	Asian	3 Comments
Tags:	Asian • cilantro • coconut • Food • foodista • ginger • salad rolls • shrimp • spring rolls • Thai

When I was a kid, like most kids, I was superstitious. Step on a crack, break your mother’s back. Don’t walk under ladders. But eventually I outgrew all of that. I’ve owned black cats. I’ve broken mirrors and chain letters and have lived to talk about it. And my mother’s back, after many stepped upon cracks, is strong and healthy.

Then we discovered Devil’s Fruit at Uwajimaya the other night and all my childhood superstitions came flooding to the surface. Never in my life have I seen anything so strange and, well, frightening! I mean, they’re black and look like tiny horned demons.

Barnaby, excited as a leprechaun who’d finally discovered that pot of gold, was tossing them into a bag, giggling, “I’ve never seen anything like! They’re so cool!” I, on the other hand, was tossing handfuls of garlic into the basket.

“What’s all that for?” he asked.
“I dunno. To…well…ward off something,” I stammered.
“Like what? Vampires?”
“One can’t be too certain!” I said, grabbing the basket and heading to the checkout counter.

I have to say though, these little guys could come in handy at Costco on a busy Saturday afternoon. If I super glued one to the front of my cart I bet that would keep the zombies at bay. You know the zombies. Those shoppers who forget they are in a crowded public place, park their carts right smack in the middle of the aisle and wander around like they’re the living dead. One look at my black horned hood ornament and they’d scatter to the side. Hmmm, there’s a thought…

Anyway, we took our little devil fruits home (also called Ling Gok) and cracked them open. At first I thought my eyes would fall out or I’d grow extra fingers, but instead I found them surprisingly good, not unlike coconut and similar to a water chestnut.

I still think I should leave some sort of offering out just to appease the spirits. Maybe a mandarin and a bottle of sake will do.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Winter Squash is Delicious, Healthy, and in Season
• Breadfruit Coconut Curry
• Canning Cherries and Apricots
• Grilled Halibut With Papaya Salsa
• Foodista and Onepot.org

Categories:	Asian • Fruit	12 Comments
Tags:	Asian • cal trop • devils fruit • Food • foodista • Fruit • ling gok

Photo: Gaku

During the cold months when I lived in Japan I loved a nice hot bowl of nikujaga. In jest, I used to call this dish “Mick Jagger.” To me, when my students said “nikujaga” or “Mick Jagger” they both sounded almost the same, so it gave us many belly grabbing laughs.

Japanese Rolling Stones fan student: “I love Micku Jagga!”
English food loving teacher: “Me too, it’s so delicious!”
Japanese Rolling Stones fan student: “What!?”

Nikujaga literally means “meat (niku) potatoes (jaga),” and to most Japanese (as well as this Gaijin) it’s comfort food. It’s a simple dish of thinly sliced beef stewed in sweetened soy sauce with potatoes, shirataki noodles (also known as konnyaku noodles; a low carb, non-wheat noodle), carrots and onions.

In the late 19th century, while studying naval science in England, Japanese naval legend Tōgō Heihachirō was inspired by the hearty, nutritious beef stews of the British Royal Navy. Upon his return to Japan he commissioned the chefs of the Imperial Japanese Navy to create a version to serve their seamen.

And, thus, was born Mick Jagger…I mean, nikujaga <wink>.

Nikujaga

1/2 lb thinly sliced beef loin cut into 1 1/2 inch length pieces
4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 onion, cut into wedges
1/4 lb carrot, cut into bite size chunks
1/2 package shirataki noodles
2 1/2 cups dashi soup (*see below)
2 Tbsp mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)
2 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp soy sauce

Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a deep pot and quickly saute beef. Add onion, carrot, potato, and shirataki in the pan and saute together. Pour dashi soup stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and skim off foam. Simmer until potatoes are softened. Add sugar and mirin; cover. Simmer for about 5 minutes and add soy sauce. Simmer until the liquid is almost gone.

Makes 4 servings.

*Dashi is a stock that is the base of many Japanese dishes. There are many variations, but a common variety is made from dried kelp and bonito (fish) flakes. Many people nowadays use instant dashi. You can purchase it in Asian (and some non-Aisan) markets as well as on Amazon.com.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Slow Cooked Goat Shank With Alubia Criollo Beans
• Veggie Beef Tahini Pita
• Pork Belly with Wild Huckleberry Sauce
• Bacon Day
• Git Yer Bacon

Categories:	Asian • Meat & Poultry	2 Comments
Tags:	Asian • comfort food • Food • foodista • Japanese • meat • nikujaga • potatoes • stew

I’ve said it before, salmon runs through our blood here in the Pacific Northwest. If there’s one food that sums up our culture I’m certain it would be salmon. In our home we always have fillets in the freezer, and eat it regularly (who needs Omega 3 supplements?!). Smoked, grilled, poached, burgers, sashimi, sushi, in bouillabaisse. Everything short of salmon sorbet, and I wouldn’t even put that past us.

We went with an Asian flavor in our latest preparation and glazed our fillets with miso. Then, we served it on top of forbidden rice (a tiny grain rice, but more on that later) and garnished it with seaweed salad and tsukemono (Japanese pickles).

For the simple glaze we used equal parts miso to mirin and coated the fillets on all sides. Then we popped it under the broiler for a few minutes on each side.

Delicious and easy!

Possibly Related Posts:

• The World’s Most Neglected Wines (Part One): Australian Riesling
• Perfect Scrambled Eggs
• Moorish Badenjan Dip
• Salmon with Chanterelles and Slow Cooked Tomatoes
• Celebrating Chanterelles

Categories:	Asian • Cooking tips • Fish & Seafood • Japanese • Sauces	3 Comments
Tags:	Asian • fish • Food • foodista • glaze • Japanese • mirin • miso • omega 3 • Pacific Northwest • salmon

Since just about everything I do somehow makes me think about food, it should come as no surprise that watching the Beijing Summer Olympics got me thinking about Chinese food. As I contemplated cooking something new, I hit on what used to be an old standard for me: Chinese BBQ Pork. During college it was a favorite lunch item, I used to get a good amount of it sliced on a big pile of rice with some steamed Chinese greens for about $3 at the student union. As much as I loved the salty-sweet pork, doused liberally with hot Sriracha sauce, I’d never actually prepared it myself. After doing some research, I found that there are a bunch of different variations, even on the name, including:

• Char Siu
• Cha Siu
• Chashao
• Chinese BBQ Pork
• Cantonese Barbecued Pork

Regardless of the name, many of the ingredients are the same. Below is a good basic recipe, but first, I thought I’d share some tips/tricks I discovered in my research and experimentation.

• This method is often traditionally called “red cooking,” due to the red tinge pork can get when roasted, which is naturally enhanced by soy sauce. Unfortunately, many recipes include red food coloring, one actually called for 1/2 a cup! I can only imagine what that would do to your insides. I say skip the food coloring, it’s nasty and adds no flavor!
• If you parboil the meat first and then dry, it helps develop a shiny glaze. In researching Chinese cooking in general, I’ve found this is a trick to getting crispy skin on roast meats, like suckling pig and Peking Duck. Many recipes suggested marinating the meat first, I like this technique better.
• Try kicking up the quantity of five spice powder and the other spices. I did this to my taste and really enjoyed the results.
• You can make the sauce in advance, even in quantities, and keep it in the fridge to put on other dishes.
• Use a meat thermometer to roast the pork. I took mine out at 145 degrees, this resulted in a much more tender and moist version than I’ve had in the past.

Here’s a good basic recipe to start with:

2 lbs pork loin

Sauce:

1/4 C sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C hoisin sauce
1/2 C xao hsing rice wine
2 tsp five spice powder
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp fresh ginger minced (I cut mine into ‘coins’ and put through my garlic press)
2 garlic cloves put through press or minced
1 Thai chili, chopped
3 Tbsp chopped green onion

Preparation

1. Whisk together above sauce ingredients in a pan and simmer for 5-10 minutes, being careful not to boil as this can give it a burnt taste.
2. Taste and adjust the spices, salt, and sweetness to your liking.
3. Strain liquid and set aside.
4. Heat enough water water in a pot to cover pork and bring to a boil. To kick up the flavoring, add a few extra tablespoons of soy sauce and Xao Hsing wine, plus the peels from the ginger and garlic to the water.
5. Add pork and parboil for 5 minutes. This will remove any surface blood and juices that cloud the sauce.
6. Remove pork and pat dry with a paper towel.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8. Place pork on a roasting rack and baste liberally with sauce.
9. Roast in oven, basting frequently until interior temperature registers 145 degrees, approximately 45 minutes.
10. Remove and allow roast to rest 5-10 minutes.
11. Slice thinly, drizzle with more sauce, and serve over rice with stir fried bok choy or similar greens. Can also be served cold.

If you have leftovers, consider an adventure in making Char Siu Bao aka Hum Bao.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Perfect Scrambled Eggs
• Moorish Badenjan Dip
• Celebrating Chanterelles
• Remedies for Your Butternut Squash Addiction
• Fabulous Flu Fighting Foods

Categories:	Asian • Cooking tips • Meat & Poultry	5 Comments
Tags:	Asian • barbecue • BBQ • Cantonese BBQ pork • Cha Siu • Char Siu • chinese • Chinese BBQ pork • Food • foodista • hoisin • pork • soy sauce

It’s spring and I woke up with a sore throat. You shouldn’t be able to get sick in warm months. That’s what winter is for. We suffer the cold weather and the spreading of germs, then the sun comes out and we get a reprieve from carrying tissues and sucking on lozenges. Wouldn’t it be nice if nature worked that way?

But alas, it doesn’t, because the sun is out and I am in. With a sore throat. Sipping tea like it’s the dead of winter.

If you happen to get the same little bug here’s what will fix you right up: citron honey tea.

Also called yuja-cha in Korean, citron honey tea is a marmalade-like tea, made from the citron fruit. Citron, also called yuzu, is a lemon-like fruit that is wonderfully fragrant and packed full of vitamin C.

Stir in a heaping spoonful or two into a mug of hot water and serve with a spoon. You’ll want to scoop up the bits of sweet rind that remain in your cup.

Even if you’re not under the weather it makes a delicious treat. Try mixing it with ice water for a refreshing drink, stir into plain yogurt or spread on toast as you would marmalade.

You can find citron honey tea in asian markets or even order it online from Stash Tea.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Winter Squash is Delicious, Healthy, and in Season
• A Very Vegan and Vegetarian Friday Fun Links
• Foodista Quick Tip: Infusions
• National Candy Day is November 4
• Breadfruit Coconut Curry

Categories:	Asian • Beverages • Fruit • Uncategorized	1 Comment
Tags:	Asian • Beverages • citron • drinks • foodista • korean tea • Tea • yuzu

I’ve been painting my kitchen all weekend. And if you’ve never taken on the task of painting a room, let me tell you something, hire someone. Or at least know what you’re getting yourself into. I took a look at our kitchen and cockily exclaimed, “Psh, I can totally do this myself!” And I did do it myself. But now I hurt, and I’m crying for the Vicadin I so wish we had in our medicine cabinet.

Better than any pharmaceutical painkiller is my friend Tracy’s pho. She’s amazing. Most people would haul themselves down to the nearest pho restaurant and drop the $4 bucks for a styrofoam container of this Vietnamese soup. But oh no! My dear friend spends a better portion of the day brewing her own broth, and it is worth every simmered minute. Top Ramen would have helped, but her soup renewed me, even made me want to paint another room!

She’d taken a recipe and adapted it to her own tastes, and I’m sharing, as best I can, how she did it:

To make the stock:

Take about 4-6 short ribs and 2 big ox tails and roast them for about 30 minutes in the oven, or until they are good and browned. Once browned take them out of the oven, remove the fat and add the bones and meat to a stockpot. Deglaze the roasting pan with a bit of chicken stock, then add to the pot. Add a good hunk of ginger, about 2 inches sliced, and about 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot. Pour in roughly 3-4 large (49 oz.) cans of chicken stock, and let simmer for about 3-4 hours. Skim off the fat scum periodically.

After the long simmer add the following (to taste):

8-10 black and white pepper corns (a mixture of both)
1 large yellow or white onion, roughly chopped
1 stick cinnamon
5 cloves
About 20 coriander seeds
¼ teaspoon cumin
¾ cups fish sauce

Simmer another 40 minutes, then drain the stock, reserving the liquid, and discard the bones and spices.

Prepare 2 packages of rice noodles (thin to medium; it’s all a matter of preference) according to instructions – usually just a fast “swizzle” in boiling water.

Compile the following on a big plate: sliced limes, finely chopped green onions, a pile of bean sprouts, and sprigs of basil and cilantro. Have an assortment of good chili sauce (Sriracha is great!) and hoisin or oyster sauce.

For the meat version use thinly sliced beef or pork; sukiyaki cuts are available at Asian markets. The thin slices will quickly cook in the hot broth.

You’re now ready to assemble your pho. For individual servings, add some noodles to a bowl. Add sliced of beef and pour in some of your hot beef broth. Top with green onions, bean sprouts, and a handful of basil and cilantro. Give a good squeeze of lime juice and season to taste with chili sauce and/or hoisin sauce.

Hmm, I think the bathroom would be nice in a pretty shade of blue……

Possibly Related Posts:

• Winter Squash is Delicious, Healthy, and in Season
• Perfect Scrambled Eggs
• Moorish Badenjan Dip
• Celebrating Chanterelles
• Remedies for Your Butternut Squash Addiction

Categories:	Asian • Cooking tips • Herbs • Meat & Poultry • Seasoning & Spices • Soup • Veggies	7 Comments
Tags:	Asian • cooking • Food • foodista • pho • recipe • recipes • Soup • Vietnamese