Silver Spoon

Monja yaki もんじゃ焼き

I really enjoying reading ‘Silver Spoon’ Japanese manga (comic book) by my favorite author, Mari Ozawa. The series first started in February of last year and I now have volume three. The story is about an incredibly handsome high school senior whose father passed away three years earlier, then his mother became ill and was hospitalized. He now faces the challenge of taking care of his pre-teen brother and sister. Although his experience in the kitchen is limited, he quickly develops his skill and love for cooking. This manga includes recipes in each episode. Here I tried one and it was fast, easy and mighty fine!

History of monja is sort of hazy. The picture of what seems like making monja appeared in Hokusai manga (北斎漫画）in 1819 but it doesn’t tell who started it. Likely the origin of monja come from when people wrote moji (文字-word) with batter in a skillet to amuse themselves  thus moji-yaki (文字焼き-baked character) became monja- yaki. The manga ‘Silver Spoon’ explanation is very simple- press ingredients with flat side of spatula like monja so that called monja-yaki. Monja-yaki is quicker to be ready to eat than its close cousin okonomi-yaki and both are crowd pleasers but this is gooier and untidy.

Today’s monja-yaki for about 4 people

• All purpose flour 1 cup
• Dashi stock 3 cups-I used udon tea bag style dashi steep in very hot water.
• Worcester sauce 2 Tablespoons
• Vegetable oil-1-2 teaspoon
• Thin sliced pork side 1 pound
• Half head of cabbage thinly sliced
• Spicy cod roe, mentaiko (明太子) 2-3 cut in chunk
• Mochi-Japanese rice cake cut into chunks
• Sliced cheese 2-3 (optional)
• Eringi (king oyster mushroom) 3-4 chopped
• Agedama or tenkasu (あげ玉-fried tempura batter pieces), available in the refrigerator section of Japanese market. This inexpensive item makes a big difference in texture.

Other ingredients suggestion: Squid, green onion, shrimp, shiitake, ham, bacon

Method

1. Make batter: In a large bowl, combine flour, dashi stock and Worcester sauce. The batter is very watery but don’t be alarmed.
2. Put all ingredients except cheese in an another large bowl then add one ladle full of batter and combine.Note; I did in two batches because I did not have big enough bowl.
3. Heat griddle over medium heat then oil the surface with a paper towel soaked with oil
4. Put half of the vegetable mixture onto the griddle and stir fry until cabbage is wilted.
5. Make a well in the cabbage mixture and pour batter (about a couple of ladle full) in the center of the well. Note; The batter may have separated, you need to mix it well before adding.
6. Start incorporate cabbage mixture and batter. Press with monja spatula.
7. When the mochi is soft lay a slice of cheese on top.
8. Enjoy with okonomi sauce and mayonnaise if you like.

My son’s friend is here visiting from Okinawa, Japan. I feel sorry for her that she has to endure the chaos of construction, dust and all. We made a day trip to Cannon Beach. It’s the opposite spectrum to beaches in Okinawa-windy, cold and nobody swimming. 

Escargots!

Today around 3 PM painters came to touch up a few areas. Do you know what that means? I think kitchen is done except the microwave trim kit which is still a no-show.

The main character said I cook because I want to see happy faces-That is so deep.

Bonus Information-Ookiya (大木屋) in Tokyo is voted the best as monja-yaki restaurant.

Softy

Tofu brownies

Which bowl? asked my husband, when I told him to get it. Good grief! We only have two bowls that are not in the box and can’t you see, I’m using one already! Never mind, I will get it, I snapped. Not being able to use the kitchen for a few weeks has brought me to the the breaking point. Calm down-I remind myself- this is exactly the reason I was born in modern age not pioneer era. Won’t it be nice when we get our kitchen back? said my husband. Sometimes a glass is half-full personality gets on my nerves. You betcha! More than you will ever know, just don’t ask me to go camping with you.

I start expressing my desire to redesign our kitchen to my husband about two years ago. Why? Is something broken? was his reply. Born and raised on a farm, he lived a simple life. The house he grew up in did not have dishwasher, clothes washer nor dryer. My mother-in-law washed clothes in big round tub and hand cranked to squeeze water then hung to dry outside. They had milking cows and churned cream to make butter. Eggs collected from hen house was so fresh that it was hard to remove shell from boiled eggs. It took a while but I was persistent as suggested by the tune of what Laura wants, Laura gets. I campaigned hard and made promises like I will be a happier cook in a new kitchen(?). Butter churn, paddle and mold-We received as keepsakes after my mother-in-law passed away. It still smells like butter and many precious memories. 

Back to the bowl story. I wanted make this brownie recipe adapted from Setsuko Pastry LLC in Seattle. One problem- you need a food processer. I have one but this is reoccurring dilemma,-where is it? Ah…Darling, can you mix this very fast like a food processer? In that bowl?

Ingredients for Tofu brownies use 1- 3x8 loaf pan

• Chocolate 1/2 cup I used semi-sweet baking chocolate. Break into small pieces and put in a glass measuring cup.
• Milk 1 Tablespoon
• Soft tofu 8 ounces or half package
• Sugar 1/2 cup
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tablespoon of all purpose flour, corn starch and cocoa powder (I used unsweetened). Mix in a small bowl.

1. Heat oven to 350F I used toaster oven and it came out OK.
2. In a glass measuring cup with chocolate, add milk then microwave 20 seconds at a time to melt. Set it aside.
3. Put tofu and sugar in a food processer and mix until smooth.
4. Add egg and chocolate mixture. Mix well
5. Sprinkle in the flour mixture and combine- do not over mix.
6. Pour in the prepared loaf pan and bake for 25 minutes or until no longer jiggles.
7. Cool, wrap in plastic wrap and chill.

Chilled tofu brownie has a soft, fudgy, slightly weird texture. It goes well with fruits like strawberries.

I hope you had a Happy Easter. Our Easter dinner was mostly store bought this year. I roasted potatoes and made blueberry sauce for ham. Making hard boiled eggs take too long because of weak heat source so I made poached eggs for salad instead.

Paper grass is just for decoration of course.Kumato –brown tomato has unique flavor and color.These two plates from Crate and Barrel have the same name as me.

Outside is looking more Spring like each day.Asian pear tree has way too many flowers. We need to thin it in a few weeks.Bees are working hard pollinating Asian pear tree.  

Kitchen project is on the way to the finish line.The back splash was put on in one day.The budget busting refrigerator.

I hope our kitchen is done by this weekend.

Joy of Cooking

Chinese Style Salad with Pork and Carrot Cupcake

I cooked in a real kitchen yesterday. No, not my kitchen but a neighbor’s. She kindly offered to let me cook in her lovely kitchen. She has lived here 19 years and we’re two years behind. We have known her and her family for 17 years and she always has been a great neighbor. We‘re surrounded by really nice people in this suburbia cul-de-sac. I feel blessed that we accidently ended up here. Ah…. Are we having rabbit stew tonight?

She happens to have an OVEN in her kitchen, I wanted to bake a cake. Simple but with an Easter theme. Carrot cake sounds Easterish? No? My husband likes carrot cake. Our wedding cake was that. HIs mother saved the top tier of the cake in her freezer for years. We were supposed to eat it on our first anniversary but we were no where near that place. I remember her phone call one night, ‘Guess what I found?’ I totally could not come up with any guess because I didn’t hear her ‘in the freezer’ part, I threw random, boring answers at her - money? a ring? keys? She probably thought that I suck at this game. She and his dad were a real hoot, we miss them very much.

I kind of understand that my neighbor is eating healthy so this Chinese style salad will fit the bill. The meat sauce goes well with variety of vegetables. I uniformly and thinly cut  to enhance the oriental flair. Very talkative Molly

Ingredients for Pork meat sauce

• 2 lb. pork (not ground pork) cut in small pieces
• Vegetable oil 2-3 Tablespoon
• Soy sauce about 1/4 cup or more/less
• 1 clove of minced garlic

1. In a skillet (preferably wok), heat oil at high heat.
2. Add pork and sauté until meat turns color (no longer pink)-only 1 minute or so.
3. Pour soy sauce and cook until sauce is bubbly. If you like you can add a teaspoon of sugar.
4. Add garlic and stir.
5. Pour over your favorite vegetables and rice sticks or bean glass noodle.*

*Thin match stick ginger and cilantro would add nice flavor too.I don’t like cilantro actually. I add young pea sprouts instead. 

Ingredients for carrot cupcakes Make 12 regular muffin cups.

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup or honey
• 1 Tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour-sift with baking powder below.
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 7 Tablespoon fresh orange juice, warmed
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners then spray with Pam for easy paper removal.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, maple syrup and orange zest until pale and creamy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
4. Stir in the carrots.
5. In small bowl, mix together orange juice and baking soda.
6. Add half of sifted flour and baking powder and orange-baking soda then mix.
7. Add rest of flour mixture and orange mixture and combine. Do not over mix.
8. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake about 20 minutes. Cool.

Ingredients for mascarpone icing

• 3/4 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 4 oz. cold mascarpone cheese

1. Beat together butter and confectioners sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Stir in lemon zest and mascarpone until blended.
3. Frost cooled cupcakes and decorate if you like.

She made chocolate covered strawberries for us. Yummy!

 

Spectacular neighborhood cherry blossom

I thought sheet rock process is the messiest but painting cabinet on site might be a winner! They took long hours to prepare for paint. They took doors and drawers off from cabinets, cover everything, primed and sanded by hand. I’m just grateful for their hard work.