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Onigiri Contest - JANM
| Posted on January 7, 2012 at 11:30 PM |
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Tomorrow is the kick off of Common Grains. We will start with the Onigiri Contest.
My son Sakae made these onigiris while I was visiting him in Seattle. Binah, his finace, took these pictures.
Common Grains - Onigiri rehearsal
| Posted on January 7, 2012 at 1:20 AM |
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We are just two days before the kick off of Common Grains. Today, we tested the rice cookers and figured out the logistics of the onigiri contest. We don't know how many people will come but we are preparing for 500.
We practiced making onigiri. It's going to be fun looking at all onigiris on Sunday.
Lili Gomez's onigiri. The cilantro is the Mexican touch.
Janet and Soma's onigiri - The Jalapeno and shansho pepper eyes are hilarious. Souma's on right looks like it has a hangover.
Monster Onigiri by Soma. I stouck in the almond teeth.Grilled Onigiri with Miso
| Posted on August 22, 2011 at 9:20 PM |
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I have been cooking a lot of rice this week. I am testing the new donabe rice cooker and some onigiri recipes. On this occasion, I also tested the pros and cons of using a rice ball mold. I usually make my rice balls by hand, but I sometimes use rice ball molds. It's when I don't have enough hands to make onigiri by hand. The rice ball maker I found at Marukai is plastic - double onigiri mold. Each mold takes about 3/4 cup of cooked rice. They make a perfect triagular onigiri. But if you just use it to mold the rice, your onigiri will not hold together, especially if you are grilling it. To use the molds, rinse them in water so they are slightly wet, and then stuff them with rice. Don't pack too much or you will squash the grains.
Plastic onigiri molds and onigiri right out of the mold.
To keep hold the shape of onigiri, use your hands to gently press the molded rice triangle from all sides.
Onigiri that has been pressed by hand, ready to be broiled.
I used a Cuisinart toaster oven to broil these balls. It can fit 9 onigiri on the tray so it is pretty accomodating. When the onigiris are toasted, you baste them with some miso-soy-mirin sauce and toast them again until they are nice and crispy. Serve immediately.
Grilled Onigiri with Miso Recipe:
Onigiri (See recipe below)
Grilled onigiri served two ways
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: Each sauce recipe makes enough for 4 onigiri
Miso sauce with chives
1/4 cup miso (white, Saikyo or red miso paste)
2 tablespoons mirin
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
In a medium bowl, whisk together the miso, mirin and soy sauce. The chives can be whisked into the sauce, or sprinkled over as a garnish just before serving.
Soy mirin sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce (koikuchi style)
2 teaspoons mirin
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and mirin.
Grilled onigiri assembly
4 onigiri, Olive, sesame or chili oil
Prepared sauce
1. Brush the onigiri with a little oil to prevent it from sticking to the grill. If you use a spicy oil like chili oil, it will give the onigiri heat.
2. Heat a grill pan or grill over medium-high heat until hot, or heat the broiler. Line the grill pan, grill or a baking sheet (if using the broiler) with foil. Grill the onigiri on both sides until crisp and slightly toasted; this can take from 5 to 10 minutes on each side depending on the heat and cooking method. While grilling, baste the onigiri with a little of the sauce on each side a few times until it is absorbed and becomes crisp; the onigiri should not be moist from basting when done. Watch carefully, as the onigiri can burn.
3. Serve immediately while the onigiri are piping hot.
Onigiri recipe (go to this link).
Grilled Onigiri Breakfast
| Posted on August 11, 2011 at 11:15 AM |
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Grilled onigiri and yogurt with blueberries
My friend Atsuko who works at a Japanese Food Import Export company gave me a variety of Japanese rice to try. Last night, I tried Nigata's Koshihikari short grain rice. The grains are smaller and shinnier than California Koshihikari. The flavor is different too. Koshihikari from Niigata is more polished than the California cousin so the texture is smoother, like eating soft pearls. Some people prefer to have some bran in the rice, in which case Niigata Koshihikari might be too polished. I usually go for brown rice but I had two bowls of this rice. It was delicious. I
With leftovers, I made onigiri this morning. I grilled the onigiri in the broiler. I toasted both sides of the onigiri, and then brushed it with soysauce several times to give it the brown toasty look. If you want to read more about Onigiri, you can do a onigiri search on my blog and find it. But it is so simple, you don't really need a recipe. Just steamed rice and soysauce are all.
I also whipped up some miso soup. The dashi was prepared last night so all I had to do was add the miso and chop some vegetables. No brainer. The miso soup contains chopped savoy cabbage, zuchinni and seaweed. I sprinkled chopped scallions on top. I also had some blueberries with a little greek yogurt. I have to say, it was a beautiful breakfast.
Onigiri - reshapes the idea of fast food
| Posted on July 28, 2011 at 2:45 AM |
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Here is the link to my Onigiri story and recipes that appeared in the LA Times Food Section on July 28, 2011.
Making Sushi with Children
| Posted on July 27, 2011 at 2:10 AM |
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11 year old Hayato's creation
My 11 year old nephew wanted to eat sushi on the first night in LA. Having just arrived from Tokyo, you would think he'd ask for something more American like a hamburger. No, he wanted something with rice. Sushi, if he can get his wish - made with a combination of tuna, avocado, shiso and cucumbers, and he wanted to make the sushi by himself.
He warned me that his sushi didn't look that great, but tasted very good. And If tuna was not available, he was happy to settle with plain avocado because he compares the flavor and texture to the butteriness of Toro. I haven't been eating tuna for environmental reasons. But tonight, I made an exception. We bought some tuna, but not the endangered Blue Fin.
Avocado is a common fruit in California compared to Japan but we had trouble finding one that was ripe enough for sushi. We ended up visiting 3 markets. Hayato could spot a green one with one look. "No, they are not going to work," he told me and we kept searching until we finally found the ripe avocados. Hayato is a pretty sofisticated eater. His parents are both chefs, so I am not surprised, but he taught himself to make sushi. And like me, he is willing to go the distance to find the best ingredient.
To make the sushi rice, we used half brown and half white, per Hayato's suggestion. His mother has been using rice with whole grains for health reasons. At first, I wasn't sure about using brown rice for making sushi but if Hayato's says it tastes pretty good, I trust him.
He washed the rice, measured the water and cooked it the rice cooker. Then he cut the nori sheets in half, and sliced up the fillings, including the tuna. Hayato is very dexterous. We didn't have a proper bamboo mat, as they are still in storage. So I offered a mat for soba noodles. The mat was round and small, but he made do.
He made enough sushi for two. We served the sushi with Hiyayako - cold tofu with condiments on top. It was the best California roll I ever tasted ate. We ate it all and celebrated his first evening in the US.
One happy boy!
Wine and Onigiri - An easy supper solution
| Posted on July 7, 2011 at 2:13 AM |
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Thunderstorm
We were suppose to have a bbq with our friends in Bear Valley Springs but their house was flooded from yesterday's thunderstorms. So they had to cancel. Tehachapi needed the rain but it was heavy. Our roof leaked, too. It was a hassle trying to find enough containers to hold the rain water. I had not seen rain like this in California for a long time, so it was exciting to watch the rainstorm. But I am sorry the dinner plans changed because we didn't have anything in the fridge, except for a tomato, edamame, half a cantaloupe, some nectarines and milk.
We didn't feel like going out or shopping for food but Sakai came up with a good idea - a simple supper of Onigiri, rice balls (here is the recipe) - the quintessential Japanese comfort food. Here is another onirigi recipe and another. Onigiri is very easy to assemble. Rice, nori seaweed and pickled plums for the stuffing. I had all the ingredients. We brought the electric rice cooker from Pasadena. I had also stocked the kitchen with some of my Japanese-American
Onigiri and wine
pantry items -rice, cooking sake, mirin, soy sauce, salt, sugar, pepper, olive oil, canola oil, pickled umeboshi, nori seaweed, green tea, coffee and dried fruit. I made Onigiri with 1 cup of rice, which makes 4 onigiris. I cut up some tomatoes and boiled edamame.
While we waited for the rice to cook, we opened a bottle of pinot noir from Wild Horse in Paso Robles and ate the munchies. I brought the wine glasses out of storage today so we had decent glasses. They were champagne glasses but it was better than the enamel camping gear we have been drinking out of.
Kurokin - Guardian of the ranch
The sun was setting to our east but the light was coloring the western skies in creamy salmon. Rabbits came out to feed. I was hoping to see the deer that Sakai and our neighbor Michael saw early in the day. But instead the wild black cat that lives under the house made a solid appearance. I only knew this cat in passing. It was always running away from us. But tonight, something changed in its behavior. The cat decided to hang out with us. It kept a safe distance but came out of the basement to eat the food and water I left outside. It took awhile to earn its trust so I am very proud of this development. When I called out its name, Kuro-Kin (it means black and gold in Japanese), it blinked its golden eyes like flashing yellow lights. Michael told us that the black cat visits the other ranches but never comes close to you. Everyone knew it lived under our mobil home. Our neighbor Mike even tried to catch it with a trap but it escaped the minute he opened the cage. The cat belonged to nobody. Cats keep the mice population down, so it's good to have this cat living with us. I noticed Kurokin has a limp but is it quite agile; its black coat is shinny like mink. Sakai said that Kurokin is part of the wild life. We shouldn't try to tame it. But I think Kurokin likes our company and is curious about us as much as we are about Kurokin. It has gained a few pounds since we moved here. It was skin and bones when we first saw it. I plan to take care of this cat, as I believe it's the guardian of this ranch.
The onigiris turned out really well. The pickled plum and the crispy nori gave the fluffy rice good flavor. I could have eaten more, but then I realized there was some pistachio ice cream in the fridge that we were suppose to take to our friends' house. We had that for dessert and rounded up the lovely evening.
Inari zushi - A pillow of rice
| Posted on February 14, 2011 at 12:44 AM |
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If you have some leftover kinpira Gobo or Kinpira carrots, a good way to used them up is to make inari zushi. Just mix them into sushi rice. If you don't have any leftover Kinpira dishes, you can stuff the pillow with sushi rice and sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds on the rice for some extra flavor.
The sushi rice mixed with Kinpira sushi rice has good texture and flavor. Have the seasoned tofu pouches (age or usu-age) seasoned ahead of time. I usually do this at the begining of the week so I have them around whenever i need to make inari zushi. I also chop them up and put them in my noodles.
To make the inari sushi, Make a fresh pot of rice. When the rice is cooked add the vinegar mixture to make sushi rice and then combine the chopped kimpira gobo or carrots. Slit the seasoned inari pillows and stuff each one. Squeeze out excess water from the tofu pouches if they are on the juicy side. Serve with pickled ginger, if you like. The inari keep well in the fridge overnight but the best way to eat them is fresh.
Make sushi rice balls and line them up on the cutting board.
Slit the pillows.
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Stuff the pillows and close the opening by folding it like an
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envelope. Turn it over to serve.
Rice balls - Onigiri -In All Shapes and Sizes
| Posted on February 9, 2011 at 1:49 AM |
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It's good to teach kids how to make their own snacks. Rice balls, Onigiri, is a classic Japanese snack that can be made with fresh or leftover rice. Japanese people love onigiri like Americans love hamburgers. Onigiri can be plain or stuffed with meat, seafood or pickles.
Hayato asked his mother if he could make some onigirii. It was a good idea because his mother was busy baking and there was fresh steamed rice in the rice cooker. Hayato initially thought of making just a couple to snack on but he end up making nearly a dozen to share with everyone at home. He used up every grain in the rice cooker. It was the first time he made this many rice balls at once. He was very proud he made it all by himself. (Here is the link to the recipe).
He cut the nori seaweed into wide strips.
He wrapped each rice ball carefully so the nori seaweed wouldn't tear. This onigiri came out iike a tube.
This one came out like a triangle, which is the classic shape.
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Here is everything on a plate. They came out in all sizes and shapes. We all got to taste one. It was delicious.
Tips for making Onigiri:
1. Use short grain rice - the onigiri holds together better.
2. Have a small bowl of saline water (combine 1 tsp of salt with 2 cups of water) and use it to
wet your hands before you handle the rice.
3. It's easier to work with warm rice than hot or cold rice. If the rice is too hot, scoop it out on a cutting board and let it cool. If it is cold, heat it up and the rice will soften.
4. Put a dab of salt on your hands before you make the onigiri. This gives the plain rice flavor. You can also stuff the onigiri with bite size morsels of grilled salmon, meat, pickled plum (umeboshi).
5. Nori seaweed is the classic way to wrap Onigiri. You can also make plain onigiri or sprinkle roasted sesame seeds. Some people wrap Onigiri in pickled greens.
6. Eat onigiri within a day.
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Fried Mochi - Kagami Biraki
| Posted on January 8, 2011 at 7:28 PM |
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Fried Mochi sprinkled with Ao-Nori seaweed
Before leaving for Tokyo, I needed to put away the Kagami Mochi. It has been decorating my home in Santa Monica since the first of the year.
The Japanese ceremony of putting the Kagami mochi away is called Kagami biraki; literally, it translates to "Open the mirror" or "Breaking of the Mochi." The mochi is broken into small pieces with your hands and a hammer. Usually it is done on the 11th day of the New Year and as the description suggests, you are officially open for business.
Nowadays, many Japanese people don't bother decorating the home with fresh Kagami Mochi. Artificial mochi made of plastic and ceramic have become popular substitutes since hardly anyone make mochi at home. I was lucky to find fresh mochi in Los Angeles at my local Japanese market because I don't like the idea of using artificial food for this occasion.
Old Kagami mochi is perfectly edible and good, but it will get hard and a little bit moldy, especially if you live in a humid climate. But once cleaned, mochi can be deep fried to make Age-mochii or boil ed and used it in sweet azuki bean soup. If you don't have Kagami-mochi, you can use regular mochi for the recipe.
10 day old Kagami mochi, cracking in places. The green mold grows where the two discs touch.
Scraping the mold off the mochi is a little laborious but I find it rather meditative.
It took me about ten minutes to clean the mochi.
Break the mochi discs with your hands or a hammer. Use a sharp
knife to srape off the mold.
Deep frying mochi.
Paper towels remove excess oil on the fried mochi.
I start munching the moment they come out of the oil!
You can sprinkle fried mochi with salt. Also good is with Aonori seaweed flakes, which are sold in a glass jar or in little packets at the Japanese markets. If you like it hot, try Shichimi-pepper.
Age Mochi - Deep-Fried Mochi - Recipe:
Makes 4-6 servings (appetizers)
4-6 pieces of mochi or Kagami-mochi
2-3 cups Vegetable oil for deep frying
Salt, Shichimi Pepper, Aonori-seaweed flakes for sprinkling
Use week old mochi that is hardened. Scrape off mold, if any. Break the mochi with your hand unto small edible pieces. You can also use a hammer.
Heat oil to 325-350F in a cast iron pan. Use enough oil so it is about 1 inch in depth.
Fry one side until the mochi is browned, flip the mochi pieces over and brown the other side.
Pat dry on paper towel and sprinkle the mochi pieces with salt and other sprinkles of your choice.
Serve while the mochi is piping hot.
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Mochi - Good Luck Food
| Posted on January 2, 2011 at 7:09 PM |
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There are traditional Japanese foods that bring all kinds of good luck - prosperity, fertility, productivity, happiness, in the new years. I spend hours in the kitchen cooking these foods during the last few days of the year and then ask my family and friends to eat them. It's the one time of the year that I can get a little pushy and preachy with food but it's all to bring good luck and good fortune.
One good luck food is Mochi - steamed and pounded sweet rice It's the symbol of flexibility and endurance. During the first week of New Years, we eat mochi in the place of rice. Many Americans are already familiar with Mochi ice cream. It's the thin opaque white skin that covers the round shaped ice cream that you can often find at Japanese restaurants.
If you have never eaten it before, Mochi is chewy and bland. The word has become an adjective to describe somenthing chewy. A loaf of bread can be "mochi, mochi," meaning very chewy. Japanese love this texture. (notice, the mochi word is used twice to describe the chewy texture).
You can eat mochi with a dribble of soy sauce. For New Years, we eat a clear soup with Mochi called Ozoni.
Mochi is used year round in a variety of Japanese sweets.
When my son was little, I used to make mochi at a friend's house. The tradition is called Mochi-Tsuki, Mochi-pounding and we do it at the end of the year. We soaked the sweet rice overnight and brought it to their house. Each family was allowed to bring up to two pounds of rice.
My friend's husband, who is a landscaper, made the wood burning steamer to steam mochi. It was a makeshift wood burning stove that was made out of an old oil barrel. To make mochi, each family placed the soaked rice in a meshed tray and gave it to the men who were in charge of tending the fire. Racks of meshed trays containing the rice were placed on top of the wood burning barrel. When the rice was ready, the meshed tray was removed and the steamed rice was transferred into a large stone mortar (usu). Two people took turns pounding the rice with a big wooden mallet (kine), and wetting the mochi while everyone else gathered around to watch and drink sake. About fifty Japanese people came to the event every year. I felt like we were doing the event in a small Japanese village, even though we were in the suburbs of Northridge. The big mochi was then transferred to a large table where we cut it apart and form it into spheres and cubes. Some of us would make Kagami mochi to bring good luck to the house and work. My friends don't do Moch-tsuki anymore but if you look around in Los Angeles, there are some Japanese people that get together to do it. It's a lot of fun.
Fresh Mochi
I would like to start making my own mochi but I don't have the tools to do it yet. Store bought mochi is not bad though, if you buy it fresh. Mochi is available at most Japanese markets all year round and it freezes well. The easiest way to serve mochi is simply broiling it in the oven. Take the individual squares or round mochi and place them on a foil lined cookie sheet or container. Leave some space between each mochi to prevent them from sticking to each other. Broil or grill for about 10-15 minutes. Flip the mochi several times while grilling or broiling. Once they puff up, it is they burn easily so be careful.
Broiled mochi
When the mochi is heated inside, it will soften and melt like cheese, and will puff up like pop corn. It's kind of fun to watch this happen. When you take mochi out of the oven, serve it mmediately or it will go hard on you and won't taste good. I like to eat it with soysauce.
Broiled mochi
I also like to dust grilled mochi with Kinako, roasted soybean flour mixed with a little sugar. It's delicious.
Broiled mochi with Kinako (Roasted soybean flour)
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Rice with Root Vegetables and Tofu - Maze Gohan
| Posted on November 19, 2010 at 2:39 PM |
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I am on a roll with rice and vegetables. I make one pot of this vegetable rice and I am set for the day. I have been eating so much rice lately, I am feeling bad I haven't made any soba in a few days.
Rice goes well with root vegetables like carrots and burdock. I also add dried shitake mushrooms for flavor and fried tofu pouches for texture and protein. The rice taste good even on the next day. I wrap it in nori seaweed and make rice balls.
Age tofu (deep fried tofu pouches), dried shitake mushrooms,
Burdock and carrot root - sliced thinly
Cooked in the electric rice cooker - a no brainer way to
make rice.
The burdock and shitake add an earthy flavor to the rice.
Recipe:
Serves 4
2 cups rice
2 cups water
1 Age-tofu (deep fried tofu pouch)
4 dried shitake mushrooms, hydrated
1/2 carrot, peeled and slice into thin rectangles, 1/8 inch thick
1/2 burdock, scrubbed and shaved into thin slices
1 Tbls rice vinegar (for soaking the shaved burdock and carrots)
6-8 Mitsuba leaves - garnish (optional)
Sesame seeds and Maldon salt - for the table (optional)
Seasoning for the rice:
2 Tbls sake
1/4 Tsp salt
2 Tbls salt
1/3 Tsp sugar
One hour before cooking the rice: Wash the rice 3-4 times. Drain water. Add the measured water and let stand.
Blanch the Age-tofu for 2-3 mintues. Drain water. Slice thinly into 1/4 inch wide pieces, about 1 inch long.
Wash the hydrated shitake mushrooms. Remove the stems and discard. Slice the caps into thin slices.
Slice the carrots into thin rectangles, about 1 inch in width, 1/8 inch thick.
Wash the burdock. Take a clean brush and wash the skin without peeling it off.
With a sharp knife, shave the burdock, as if you were shaving a pencil. Drop the shavings into a bowl of water with the tablespoon of vinegar. The water will turn brown. Drain water. Change the water once more and then drain.
Put the sliced carrots, shitake mushrooms and burdock on a plate.
Add the seasoning and vegetables into the rice. Mix the ingredients and then cook the rice as you would normal rice.
Serve the rice with Mitsuba leaves. You can mix them into the rice or garnish the top.
You can also sprinkle roasted sesame seeds and salt.
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Chirashi-Zushi
| Posted on November 18, 2010 at 11:46 PM |
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Home style sushi
I had delicious food at Tortoise's special dinner event the other night. One dish I liked in particular was the chirashi zushi. When I got home, I wanted to eat more sushi, so I made my own the next day. The sushi that Torotoise served had pieces of snapper sashimii scattered in the sushi rice. I only had vegetable ingredients at home so the sushi I made is vegetarian except for the egg.
Chirashi-sushi is vinegared rice that can be topped with a variety of vegetables, tofu, and seafood. It's much simpler to prepare than nigiri-zushi and it is by far the most popular sushi to make at home.
When mixing the vinegar dressing, using a cutting motion
to mix the rice to keep the grains from getting mushy.
The dressing for the sushi rice is made of rice vinegar, sugar and salt. They are combined with the rice while the rice is hot. Use the paddle to toss the rice or more like cut the rice. Be careful not to mash the grains. Some people fan the rice while tossing to cool the rice down as it is mixed.
A variety of toppings
The topping for this chirashi sushi are blanched carrots, sliced cucumbers, marinated age-tofu, egg, shiso leaves and ginger. Toss the ingredients into the vinegared rice or use as topping like I did with the strips of egg.
Recipe:
Serves 2-3
2 cups rice
2 1/4 cups water (if using new crop of rice, use equal amount of water to rice)
1 piece of kombu, about 2 inches long
Mitsuba leaves for garnish (optional)
1/2 carrot, julienned and blanched
2 egg crepes, sliced thinly
2 seaasoned Age- Tofu (deep fried tofu pouches), sliced thinly (here is the link for the recipe)
1 cucumber, sliced thinly
5 shiso leaves, sliced thinly
3 tsp peeled and chopped ginger
1-2 Tbls roasted sesame seeds
Vinegar dressing:
4 bls rice vinegar
4 tbls sugar
1.5 tsp salt
Cook the rice. Mix the vinegar dressing and add to the rice. Toss lightly.
Prepare the vegetable and the egg. Mix the toppings with the vinegared rice,
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except for the egg. Use the egg to decorate the top.
Chestnut Rice - A Fall Dish
| Posted on November 17, 2010 at 5:54 PM |
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With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I am thinking of chestnuts today. Here is a story I wrote for Zester Daily. A Japanese style Chestnut rice. (here is the Link to the chestnut rice story)
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Mushroom Rice - Cooked in a Donabe Clay Pot
| Posted on July 27, 2010 at 1:28 AM |
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A basket of nameko, shitake and maitake mushrooms
A pot full of rice with maitake, shimeji, shitake, nameko mushrooms.
The most exciting thing that happened at the farmers market in LA this summer is LA Funghi. Maybe they have been around longer but I just discovered them at the Sunday farmers market in Pacific Palisades. Their mushrooms are gorgeous - fresh and varietal. They look like they were just picked off the bark of a tree. We have seen mushroom farmers with shitake, morels and chantrelles but not maitake, hen of the woods, "nameko". I can't even get such fresh nameko in Japan! I was so excited I spent about $20 buying mushrooms. That's easy to do. What is wonderful about mushrooms is how they can adapt to almost any dish. I use mushrooms in soups, rice, salads, stews, etc. With these mushrooms, I made rice in a donabe clay pot. Last year I blogged about Mushroom rice garnished with Shiso (here is the link to the recipe) It was also made in a donabe rice, and I also did a story for the LA Times about donabe rice cooking (here is the link to the story ;). I used enough mushrooms to cover the top of the donabe pot. The mushrooms will shrink quite a bit so you can be quite generous. The mushrooms add an excellent flavor and fragrance to rice.
Notice the double lid. This inner lid acts like a pressure cooker.
My donabe clay pot is about 4 years old.
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Here are the left over mushrooms in the brown bags.
This is the way to store them. Don't use plastic bags.
Recipe:
(This recipe works for both donabe rice cooker and electric rice cooker)
2 cups medium grain rice plus 1/4 cup sweet rice (equals 3 cups Donabe 180 ml cup)
15 oz water
3 Tbls Sake
3 Tbls Light color soy sauce (Usukuchi shoyu)
1 package of shimeji mushrooms, 3 medium size shitake mushrooms and 1/2 package of Maitake mushrooms
Garnish options:
1 Tbls yuzu or lime rind
Roasted sesame seeds, shichimi pepper, sansho pepper, chopped Mitsuba leaves, Cut Nori seaweed
Rinse rice and sweet and let stand in the strainer for 15 minutes.
Trim ends of mushrooms and separate them into individual pieces. If using shitake mushrooms, slice them into 1/4 inch pieces. Set aside.
Put the rinsed rice, light color soysauce and sake in the donabe or electric rice cooker. Mix the sauce and sake into the rice. Let stand for 15 minutes.
Cook donabe over medium high heat for 15-17 minutes or until the steam comes out "vigorously" from the ventilation hole. Turn off heat and let stand for 15 minutes.
Open the donabe, using pot holders so you don't burn your hands. Add the sliced mushroom and close both the inner and upper lids. Let stand for another 5 minutes.
Open the donabe and gently toss the rice with the mushrooms. You may have some toasted rice on the bottom which is good.
Garnish with yuzu rind and/or other recommended garnishes.
The rice tastes best when served right away.
Brown Rice with Azuki Beans
| Posted on July 10, 2010 at 1:41 AM |
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Brown rice with azuki beans served with gomashio
There are several ways to cook brown rice. In our vegan class, we made the rice two ways -in the electric rice cooker and pressure cooker . But unexpectedly, we had an equipment glitch with both cookers during class. The electric rice cooker didn't get switched on properly (or somebody accidentally pulled the chord out) and the pressure cooker was leaking steam from the side. We had tested the brown rice before class so we had rice to serve but I hope we don't have this kind of double trouble again.
Akila uses the standard electric rice cooker to cook brown rice. We used my rice cooker that can be set to brown rice cooking. I like to use an electric pressure cooker or a donabe rice cooker to cook brown rice. The textures come out differently depending on what equipment you use. The electric rice cooker makes a soft fluffy brown rice. The pressure cooker method keeps the grains nutty and mochi-like in texture, and uses less water to cook. If you use a donabe rice cooker, the texture is somewhere in between the electric rice cooker and pressure cooker. The brown rice in this picture was cooked in the rice cooker, Akila's way. I think you will have to experiment on your own to see what you like the best. They are all good, especially with the azuki beans, which adds a tint of red to the rice and azuki flavor.
Soak the rice and azuki beans for 4-6 hours.
Recipe: Rice with Azuki Beans - Electric Rice Cooker method
Serves 6-8
Brown rice plus 3 tbls of azuki beans to make a total of 2 cups
4 cups water
1 knob of ginger, peeled and sliced into tiny slivers. This is the hidden ingredient which will disappear into the cooked rice.
Roasted sesame seed topping (Gomashio)
Coarse salt – Okinawa salt, Maldon from Britain, Fleur de sel
In a very small frying pan, toast coarse salt to reduce its moisture content. Add sesame seeds and toast them, too but be careful not to burn them.
Wash the brown rice really well and drain water completely before adding the measured water.
Soak in 4 cups of water for 4 hours.
Cook the rice with measured water and ginger in electric rice cooker.
Garnish rice with roasted sesame seed salt.
Note:
You can also make the rice in a pressure or donabe rice cooker. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for cooking brown rice. The amount of water will vary depending on the cooker you use.
Salmon Rice Balls -Shake no Onigiri
| Posted on July 7, 2010 at 2:47 PM |
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I made three cups of rice last night but we didn't get around to eating it. When I got up this morning, I remembered that I had some left over grilled salmon from yesterday's lunch. The rice in the rice cooker was kept warm, so I tossed the salmon into the rice and mixed it to make Salmon Rice. Then made Onigiri - rice balls. It was delicious. The best way to eat Onigiri is to wrap them in crispy nori seaweed. I ate one onigiri for breakfast. I could have easily eaten another one but left the others for Sakai for lunch.
Simply put the torn grilled salmon into the rice and mix it.
Divide the salmon rice into three mounds, using one cup of
rice for each rice ball.
Wet your hands so the rice doesn't stick to them. Make onigiri, using your palm and fingers to press the rice together. Go for a triangle shape but
round is okay too. Wrap the onigiri in nori seaweed if you like.
To get more instructions on how to make Onigiri, read my old story.
Nanakusa-gayu - Rice Porridge with Seven Herbs
| Posted on January 7, 2010 at 8:03 AM |
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Nanakusa Gayu
Seven herbs - nanakusa
I don't think I have ever eaten as many good luck foods as I did this year. On January 7th, there was yet another occasion. The Japanese celebrate the Festival of Seven Herbs, Nanakusa no Sekku. This is a new years custom of eating a rice porridge with seven-medicinal herbs to bring good health and longevity.
The chosen herbs go by their ancient names and used mostly for this occasion, so it's hard to remember all of them by heart. Even my father could only name three but when the festive day arrives, you find out.
Seri, Japanese parsely
Nazuna - Shephard's purse
Gogyo - Jersey Cudweed
Hokobera - Common chickweed
Hotokenoza - Nipplewort
Suzuna - turnip
Suzushiro - daikon radish
The seven herbs sold in packages.
The recipe for making the porridge is quite easy. You can start with day-old rice or fresh cooked rice. Put the rice in a medium size saucepan and add four to five times the amount of water. Simmer the rice for forty minutes until it becomes like a soft oatmeal in its consistency. The porridge is seasoned with salt and soysauce. The seven herbs are added, just before serving.
My eight year old nephew took one look at the porridge I made and said it reminded him of the emergency food that he got at his school's earthquake drill. He was referring to the ready made porridge that came in the earthquake kit. Porridge is not something he eats that often at home. But when he tasted mine, he liked it a lot, and even asked for seconds.
After a couple of weeks of heavy holiday eating, this simple vegetarian rice porridge is easy to digest and very refreshing.
If you do not have these Japanese herbs, come up with your own lucky seven. Japanese also make do with what they can find locally. Think of a combination such as dill, mint, coriander, basil, parsely, chervil, baby spinach, mizuna, kale and baby radish, carrots and turnips. The idea is to choose young green sprouts and roots that bring vibrancy to your life. You can serve this dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I served this as an appetizer before dinner on January 7. It was a hit. I can eat this porridge all year around.
RECIPE: NANAKUSA GAYU- Rice porridge with Seven Herbs
Serves 6
1 package of Nanakusa or a handful of herbs of your choice, including baby radishes and turnips
2 cups cooked white short or medium grain rice
8 -10 cups of water
salt and soysauce to taste, about a 1/2 teaspoon of each.
Wash the herbs and roots. Cut the root ends. Blanch them in hot water for a minute. Drain.
In a medium saucepan, bring the rice and water to a boil. Then turn heat to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes, until the consistency of the rice becomes thick and porridgy like a soft oatmeal. Some people like their porridge, Okayu, thick; some like it thinner. This is a matter of preference. Be careful not to burn the rice. You can add more water if it gets too thick.
Add the nanakusa and serve immediately with salt and soysauce for those who like a stronger flavor.
Note: Don't overcook the herbs or they will loose their vibrant green color.
Menu suggestions: This Okayu (generic word for rice porridge) is traditionally served as a hearty Breakfast dish with pickles. But you can also serve it anytime of the day. Some consider Okayu as Japanese comfort food.
Ojiya with Egg and Yuzu - Hot Pot Work Shop Part V
| Posted on November 21, 2009 at 3:01 PM |
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Ojiya - porridge with egg and yuzu rind
There was some leftover rice from last night, so I made Ojiya for breakfast. This porridgy rice dish is often served at the end of Nabe but I made it in the place of my breakfast miso soup. I always have a good appetite in the morning. Plus there is the sculptor to feed. Sakai always needs something solid to get his engine going. At the start of each week, he usually buys two fresh bagels, one for him and one for me, and another bag of day old bagels to last him for a week; and with it, he has rice, pancakes, soup, porridge, fruit, whatever I put on the table. Making art is physical.
Ojiya resembles a risotto in its consistency but unlike the Italian counterpart, there is no need to stir. Ojiya likes to be left alone in the pot to cook. At the workshop, we used the rich chicken broth that was left over in the Chanko nabe to season the Ojiya. For additional flavor, we added eggs and yuzu, and some leftover pork from the nabe. Chopped scallions would work nicely too. My morning Ojiya came out a little bit on the soupy side. If you go to Rosanjin nabe, you will see a much thicker version.
Fragrant Yuzu
OJIYA WITH EGG AND YUZU RECIPE
Serves 4
2 cups cooked medium or short grain rice
4 cups dashi, broth (dried bonito/kombu dashi or Japanese chicken broth) *
2 eggs
Salt or Usukuchi soysauce or regular soysauce to taste
1/2 scallions, sliced thinly (optional)
Serving suggestions: Pickles go nicely with Ojiya.
How to make Ojiya:
If you are making Ojiya as a "Shime" or finish for the nabe, make sure to clear any leftover food so all you are left is the rich broth. Taste the broth. If it tastes bland, add 1/2 teaspoon of soysauce or salt. You may need a little more if you like a stronger flavor.
Close the pot and cook the rice in the seasoned broth over medium heat until the rice absorbs most of the broth and taken on the consistency of a thin porridge. This will take about 5 minutes.
Break an egg or two in a bowl and mix lightly. Pour the egg into the pot, using a slow circular clockwise motion, so it gets evenly distributed. Close the pot and turn off the heat. Let the rice and eggs cook in the remaining heat for a couple of minutes. The porridge will turn thicker, as it absorbs the broth.
Now open the pot, sprinkle some yuzu rind and serve in individual rice bowls.
Pickles go nicely with the rice.
Ojiya ready to be served. Notice sprinkles of Yuzu rind.
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