Gathering

Scallop and Vegetable Tempura/帆立と野菜の掻き揚げ

Assorted vegetable and sea foods fry is called kakiage in Japanese. The word kaki came from gather-up (かき集める) or put together (組み合わせる). Then the word “age” (no this is not how old you are but is pronounced ah-geh)  means fry, so that whole meaning is gather-up to fry. This is a great recipe to have when you have left over vegetables which you want to get rid of sooner rather than later. The small amount of tempura batter is used for light, crisp tempura.

There are many varieties or versions for kakiage recipe (see my other kakiage recipe)-no surprise! because there is almost no limit on what goes into kakiage ( I don’t recommend zucchini though, it tends to get soggy and too soft). Today, I had scallops, carrots, onions, eringi, and sweet potatoes but shrimp, green beans or burdock roots are also tasty additions. You could make a vegetarian version if you like. Be whatever.

This original recipe was featured in a free magazine I picked up at an Asian market. Currently residing in Seattle, Gourmand Shinya used to own restaurant and former chef, contributing to the ‘Earth Cooking’ (地球料理) in the YOUmaga magazine. I like his no egg, maple syrup as a sweetener recipe for the earthiness.

Ingredients for 4-6 patties

For sauce

• Soy sauce 4 Tablespoons

• Sake 2 Tablespoons

• Water 2 Tablespoons

• Maple syrup 2 Tablespoons

Mix everything in a small sauce pan. Bring to boil at medium high heat, then simmer for 2-3 minutes at low heat to remove alcohol. Set aside.

Today’s meat and vegetables for kakiage-need about 2-3 cups.

• 5-6 Scallops or 1/2 pound, slice into 3-4 times each.
• Small sweet potatoes or orange yam- peel and cut in thin match sticks  and soak in water for 5-7 minutes.
• 1 medium carrot - cut in thin match sticks, try to cut in same size as sweet potato.
• 1 large eringi - cut into thin strips
• 1 small onion cut thin and separate.

Other ingredients

• Flour 1/2 cup
• Cold water 1/2 cup
• 3 Tablespoons of flour or 2 Tablespoons of corn starch
• Flour 1/2 cup
• Cold water 1/2 cup
• Sea salt about 1/2 teaspoon
• Oil for frying – oil should come up at least 1 inch in a deep heavy skillet.
• Sesame oil 1-2 Tablespoons (optional)

1. Heat oil at medium high heat (temperature is about 355F). Add sesame oil for extra aroma.
2. Without over mixing,combine the 1/2cup of flour, cold water and salt to make batter-Don’t mind the flour mixture’s lumpiness. Set it aside.
3. Mix all vegetables and meat in large bowl.
4. Sprinkle the 3 Tablespoons of flour or  2 Tablespoons of corn starch in and combine well.
5. Divide vegetable in 4 or 6 sections.
6. In a separate bowl, put 1 section of vegetable mixture in.
7. Add about  2 Tablespoons of  flour mixture, stir just until combined (do not over mix).
8. Gently slide in the whole bowlful of vegetable mixture and fry for about 3 minutes. Use a large slotted spoon or watch-ma-call-it? (there’s a picture of it above) to ever so gently turn over. Cook until crisp and golden in color.
9. Lay on the paper towel  to remove excess oil.  Pour some of sauce over and eat while it’s hot!

We had kakiage over udon noodle but having it over cooked rice is also fantastic! Here I used thin cut of long green onion (東京ねぎ) as a condiment. Plunge in ice cold water to make crisp.Gourmand Shinya suggestion of hamburger style is I think chic! In this case I will use lots of arugula or spinach instead of lettuce.

For my birthday last week, a group of friends took me for a birthday lunch. It was way fun! Then for supper, my husband, my son and I went to a nice restaurant.  Whew, I had a cook-free day for a change. Nice! The next day, my Japanese friends and I had an another birthday lunch (which I forgot to take a camera). Doubly nice!  But my waist is expanding.

A Japanese friend baked me a mochi cake for my birthday. Sweet! Literally!

 

I have left over chestnut cream since I made my husband a Mont Blonc Cake for his birthday. I baked chestnut cream madeleine. Talk about losing weight. But the cream is expensive, why you want that to go bad? The rose in this photo is called ‘Sugar Moon’  the winner of  ‘2012 Best Fragrance’ category.

This was in the damaged box from last week’s blog post. Big Island Bees Honey.

 

Power

Honey Ginger Cashew Pork

I read somewhere that honey and pork have great combative power for fatigue. I am finally off from the vertigo roller coaster ride but I still feel lethargic. I must eat something to help me get my energy back. Good thing that my appetite has also returned. I bet that in no time I will find those few pounds I lost during my sickness, even though I don’t want it back.

The superb combination of sweet honey and the saltiness of soy sauce plus cashew and celery’s crunchy texture definitely gives this dish a satisfying up-notch kick. The ingredients below are approximates, add more honey, ginger or soy sauce to suit your taste buds.

Ingredients for 4 people

• 1 pound thick cut pork meat such as pork loin. For vegetarian dish- use 1 block firm tofu. Remove bone if it comes with it. Cut in 1x2 inch pieces. Desired thickness is about half inch.

• 3 stalks of celery-Wash well and cut off the white end then cut on the  diagonal.

• 1/2 cup cashew nuts (optional)

• Honey 4 Tablespoons

• Ginger roots-peel off skin and grate about 1/4 cup

• Soy sauce 4 Tablespoons

• Sake 4 Tablespoons

• Sesame oil 1 Tablespoon

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• Corn starch or potato starch 1 teaspoon

• 1/4 cup water

Direction

1. Put honey in a microwave proof bowl and microwave for 10 seconds or so to liquefy. Add ginger, soy sauce and sake. Combine well.
2. Put pork in a casserole dish, large bowl or a gallon zip lock bag and pour in HALF of honey mixture. Rub the mixture all over the meat and marinate for 30 minutes. Do not marinate for more than 1 hour – the meat will get tough.
3. Heat sesame oil in a wok or large frying pan at medium heat, add pork and stir fry the meat till brown. 2-3 minutes. If you’re using tofu, stir gently.
4. Add celery and cashews, cook at high heat for about 2 minutes.
5. Lower the heat to medium then add the rest of honey mixture to the pan. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Salt and pepper at this point.
6. Dissolve cornstarch and water in small bowl then pour the mixture from the side of pan and combine to thicken. Adjust taste to your liking by adding soy sauce , salt and pepper. Serve with cooked rice.

For my husband’s birthday last Sunday, my son made cinnamon roll for breakfast with my husband’s help. It was so fantastic that I took many pictures!

I made him a mini Monte Blonc cake. The umbrella I found accidently in a drawer. Where did it come from? For what?

A neighbor brought him walnut chocolate cookies and dahlias from her garden.  Love the cookies, flower and her kind gesture.

My friends shared some organic Yakima, Washington greens beans and apples which she purchased from an internet site.

I made green beans tempura…so good!

 

A concerned friend brought a plateful of homemade cookies late last week. I was feeling much better by then so I ate a few right away. See, I told you I have a way to find lost pounds…Why couldn’t they stay lost forever?

This artificially tinted daisy was an interesting photo subject. I feel lucky to do things I love.

Flight Option

Gyoza with feathers/羽根つき餃子

I see a new height in gyoza recipe- add crispy agent to same gyoza recipe at the end of cooking process. This is called gyoza with feather.  It’s  totally optional. Although it doesn’t change the flavor, it makes a whole new crispness to ordinary pot stickers. The downside of this method is triple the cooking time, means such delay may cause anxiety and test your patience. You shouldn’t make this when you’re crunched for time. It was fun to fly different route  though I might cancel the flight next time. I almost heard from one of my guys saying “Are we there yet?”

Use recipe on The Gyoza or my other basic gyoza recipe below. Makes 50 gyoza

• Ground pork 300g
• Cabbage 6-8 leaves minced
• Garlic chives 4-6 stalks thinly sliced
• Green onion 2 stalks thinly sliced
• Ginger juice-ginger root peeled, grated and squeeze for juice. 1 Tablespoon
• Sake-Japanese rice wine 3-4 Tablespoons
• Sesame oil 2 Tablespoons
• Soy sauce 1 Tablespoon
• Oyster sauce 1 Tablespoon
• Salt  and white pepper
• 50 Gyoza skins/wrappers

Mix everything except gyoza skin very well in a large bowl. Rest for 30 minutes in refrigerator. Put about 1 tablespoonful of filling in the center of gyoza skin, moisten the edge with water,make pleats and seal tight. Dusting with corn starch will prevent sticking. Cover the finished gyoza with a moist towel while working on the rest, this will prevent drying out.

I like being a task master and I demand perfection!

 

While filling is resting, prepare the crispy agent.

• Flour 1 Tablespoon
• Water 1/3 cup

Combine flour and water well. This is for just 1 batch (about 12 gyoza). You need to make more for each batch.

How to bake gyoza; Special equipment-frying pan with lid

1. In a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat. Lay gyoza in a circle leaving space in the middle, should fit 12 gyoza. Fry until bottom browns a little, without moving gyoza, about 2 minutes.
2. The flour and water mixture separate quickly so stir again before pouring in the pan. Pour from edge first and then pour in the middle opening. Cover with lid immediately. Steam for 4 minutes.
3. Remove the lid and continue to cook until the moisture evaporates. 3-4 minutes or if you could lift with turner easily then it’s ready for next step.
4. Pour 1 Tablespoon Sesame oil from the edge of pan and tilt to cover whole bottom. Fry for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Lacy wing is more like an insect’s wing not a bird’s.

Latest read- Yoshinori Nagumo is the Japanese version of Dr. Oz.. 56 years old surgeon and promoter of healthy living has written several best selling books. I was fascinated about his recipe of burdock tea. According to the book,       prophenol rich burdock breaks down fat and HDL. I must make this tea!

 

1.Clean two burdock sticks well and shave with vegetable peeler.

2. Dry in the sun for 5-6 hours. 

3. Sautee in frying pan until smoke comes out about 10 minutes at low heat.

4. Steep about one tablespoon in hot water.

Taste like burdock indeed.

It’s looks like-cure all- Chinese herb doesn’t it?

Harvest time is upon us. What a blessing!

Drove by the sunflower field.  Tired looking flowers are hinting the end of summer season? Or they just need water, we haven’t had rain for sometimes.

A friend brought a zucchini for us. Hmmm…what should I make with this?