September 17th, 2009
Burdock is a root vegetable that is easily found in the wild and is a cultivated vegetable in Japan. Besides its culinary uses, it is also used in traditional Chinese medicine, and it’s sticky seeds became an inspiration for a new, breakthrough technology – Velcro.
The roots of young burdock plants are used in cooking , since it becomes overly fibrous when grown too large. Look for burdock roots that are firm and are between 18 – 24 inches in length and about 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter. The burdock pictured above was grown organically from a small producer, Harmony Valley, in Wisconsin.
Burdock has a crunchy texture and an earthy, nutty flavor. Its thin skin can be removed with a light scrubbing or scraping. It is rich in phenolic (anti-oxidants) compounds and will easily turn grayish-brown when sliced. To prevent this, place freshly cut burcok in cold water with a little vinegar or lemon juice.
Burdock is most famously used in Kinpira – a dish of sliced carrots and burdcok simmered in dashi, soy sauce and mirin. It also found in soups, braised dishes (e.g. chicken and vegetables) and mixed with rice.
Posted in Ingredients, Vegetables | 3 Comments »
September 15th, 2009
This recipe is an adaptation from the book, Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook (amazon link). It is a good book. It is organized around several Izakaya restaurants in Japan the author writes about and showcases a few of their recipes. Each Izakaya is a little bit different – some are more modern and others more traditional – and that is reflected by the owners, the food being served and the atmosphere of the restaurant. After all, cooking is really about the people making it and the people who are eating it.
The recipe in the book only called for a cooking time of 30 minutes. This is going to produce some tough ribs. Meat near the bones that has connective tissues and collagen will benefit from a longer cooking time at a lower temperature. So I changed the cooking time, added caramelized onions and some extra sesame oil for more flavor. One could also add orange zest for more citrus flavors. Orange and sesame are a good pairing.
Ingredients
Marinade:
Soy Sauce…… 3 tablespoons
Sake…… 2 tablespoons
Mirin…….2 tablespoons
Sesame Oil….. 2 tablespoons
Caramelized Onion…… 1/2 large yellow onion
Garlic…… 1 glove, crushed and chopped
Directions
1. In a medium sauce pan add about 1 tablespoons oil plus 1/2 of a sliced, large yellow onion. Cook at low heat while stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes until caramelized.
marinate ribs
2. Mix the ingredients for the marinade together in shallow pan. Add the ribs and marinate ribs in the refrigerate overnight (minimum of 6 hours).
Bake
3. Remove ribs from refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan to bake them. Pre-heat oven to 225 F and place ribs back side up (the more white side) on a baking tray lined with foil. Bake in oven for about 2 hours at 225 F. Be sure to save the marinade to finish the ribs.
4. Flip ribs and turn the temperature up to 325 F. Bake for another another 45 minutes.
5. Take out the ribs out of the oven and pour/brush ribs with about 1/2 cup of the remaining marinade and bake for another 15 – 2o minutes.
6. Remove from oven and arrange on a serving plate. For extra presentation, garnish with parsley and/or orange slice.
Tags: pork, recipe
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August 29th, 2009
This dish really makes green beans shine. So it’s best to seek out some really good green beans from your local farmers market. Look for green smaller green beans, in diameter and length, and with good color. When it comes to vegetables, larger sizes usually indicate that they are over-grown and are tougher and have less flavor
wash and trim green beans
1. Wash and prep (trim the ends) the green beans and tomatoes.
dice tomatoes
2. Dice tomatoes.
3. Saute or deep fry green beans until they are well cooked. It’s easy to under-cook green beans, so taste one to be sure they are cooked. They should be slightly wilted.
4. Mix together in a bowl with ponzu sauce. You can also add a little garlic paste if you like.
5. Plate and serve.
Tags: recipe vegetables
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August 21st, 2009
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July 31st, 2009
Here’s a simple, healthy side dish with a lot of color – perfect for summer. Nothing too much to say here, except this recipe is best if you can find some really good local peppers from your farmer’s market. It’s all about the quality of the ingredients.
Ingredients
Bell Peppers…… 3 different colors ( in this recipe we have red, yellow and green)
Toasted Sesame Seeds……. 1 tablespoon
Soy Sauce….. 1 tablespoon
Mirin……. 1/2 tablespoon
Green Shiso…. chopped, for a garnish
Light Olive Oil…..for frying, about 1 tablespoon or less
Directions
make sesame sauce
1. Using your suribachi (mortar and pestle), grind sesame seeeds.
make sesame sauce
2. Add in mirin and soy sauce to ground sesame seeds and make a sauce.
wash and cut peppers
3. Wash and cut bell peppers into thin strips.
saute peppers
4. Saute peppers under high heat for 3-4 minutes.
5. Combine with the sesame sauce, plate and garnish with chopped shiso. If you do not have shiso, parsley is a good substitute.
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July 23rd, 2009
Shiitake mushrooms are native to Asia, originally China, and are used extensively in Japanese cooking. They have a tough, fibrous stem that allows its cap to become large in diameter and thick. Most people do not use the stems for cooking but I have known people to use them in stocks or even in vegetarian burgers. Shiitake mushrooms are best when the caps are firm and not too dark. When freshly cooked, they have delicious meaty, earthy taste yet they nearly melt in your mouth.
As a result of modern cultivation practices, they can be purchased fresh in most good produce departments. However, they can get pricey, so shop around. If you are unable to find fresh mushrooms, they dry extremely well and can be purchased in dried form at almost any Asian grocery store.
To prepare fresh mushrooms, remove the stems and lightly wash right before cooking. If the caps are too large, it’s best to cut them into smaller pieces or slice them crosswise. Dried mushrooms must be softened in warm water prior to cooking and give the best results in simmered dishes.
Besides having great taste, shiitake mushrooms are believed to have medicinal beneifits as well; such as helping prevent cancer, boosting the immune system and fighting viruses.
Tags: Ingredients
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July 4th, 2009
Panna Cotta (’cooked cream’) is an Italian dessert that is perfect for a hot summer day. It is usually served with a fruit sauce and in this version a rich sauce is made from baked strawberries
Ingredients
Water…… 3 tablespoons
Gelatin……1 tablespoon
Cream….. 1 1/2 cups
Buttermilk ……1/2 cup
Salt……1/4 teaspoon
Confectioner’s Sugar……1/4 cup
Sugar……..1/4 cup
Vanilla Extract…. .1/2 teaspoon
Sauce:
Strawberries…. 3/4 lb. (purchase 1 lb package)
Lemon Juice…. 2 tablespoons
Sugar…… 2 tablespoons (to taste)
Water….. 1/2 cup
thickener:
Cornstarch……2 teaspoon
Water…. 3 tablespoons
Directions
bake strawberries until soft
1. Make the sauce: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash the strawberries and use about 3/4 of them for the sauce. Remove the tops and cut in halves or quarters (depending on size). Lightly oil a sheet pan and place strawberries on the pan and then bake in the over for about 20 minutes. They should be very soft when finished.
2. Transfer the baked strawberries to a food processor and lightly puree. Using a sauce pan combine strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and water and heat to a simmer. Make a slurry using with the corn starch and water and slowly whisk into strawberry sauce to thicken ( it should be able to stick to the back of a spoon when done). If you prefer a smooth sauce, you can strain it when it is done.
heat cream and sugar
3. Mix gelatin and water in a bowl and set aside. Combine cream, sugar and confectioner’s sugar in sauce pan over medium-low heat. Gently heat, while stirring, until the mixture begins to simmer. Slowly add gelatin mixture, while stirring, until completely dissolved and then remove from heat.
pour into ramekins
4. When cream cools to less then 100 degrees, mix in buttermilk and divide mixture into lightly oiled ramekins. Chill well in the refrigerator before serving.
5. Unmold and garnish with the baked strawberry sauce and freshly cut strawberries. You can also add on a fresh mint leaf for extra flavor and presentation. Enjoy!
Posted in Desserts, Recipes | 1 Comment »
June 30th, 2009
Here’s a simple recipe for vinaigrette with sansho pepper. It works well as a dressing for grilled green peppers and tomatoes. A nice and easy side dish for grilled chicken or beef.
Ingredient
Sansho pepper….. to taste
Mirin…….1 tablespoon
Rice vinegar……3 tablespoons
Neutral oil such as grapseed oil…… 6 tablespoons
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk in oil.
Tags: recipe dressing
Posted in Dressings and Sauces, Recipes | No Comments »
