Food | Fed Saturday – Roasted Vegetables

Photo ©MAK @ M / M Details

Olive oil ● Potatoes cut into chunks ● Onions quartered if big, halved if small ● Pumpkin cut into chunks ● Carrots cut into chunks ● Celery stalks cut into chunks ● Salt and freshly ground black pepper Pour the olive oil into a roasting pan and put into preheated oven at 400 degrees F / 205 degrees C to heat ● If the vegetables are wet, pat them dry with a paper towels ● Remove the pan of hot oil from the oven and add the potatoes, onions and pumpkin ● Carefully toss the vegetables until the vegetables are coated with oil, then return to the oven and cook for 20 minutes ● Add the carrots and celery to the roasting pan and carefully and gently toss all the vegetables around to ensure even cooking ● Return to the oven and cook for a further 30 minutes ● When ready, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve as a side dish, or the one and only dish you just have to have for comfort ● Enjoy!

Food | Yakibuta Ramen by Cooking with Dog

There is 3-minute ramen, staple of many a student, and there is real ramen. My fav “chef”, Francis from Cooking with Dog, narrates the recipe dutifully demonstrated by his “assistant” (note to self: find out “assistant’s” name) this time for real Japanese ramen dish that originated in China. Yummy!

 

Food | Tonkatsu serendipity

Couple of days ago, I had an urge to ‘clean up’ my virtual acumen, but what it resulted in was revisiting blogs, sites, diverting to new blogs and sites, establishing a new social link, checking out the current social links, wondering if I should look at or follow new links, adding new ‘Likes’, subscribing … put simply, the opposite of ‘clean up’. The intention was there but not the will. One of the blogs I revisited was Japanina’s Food Corner: Tasty Tonkatsu! One of my favorite Japanese cooked dishes, no doubt because it reminds me of my home’s comfort food. Tonkatsu is a breaded, deep fried cutlet similar to the Italian cotoletta, Polish kotlet schabowy, Austrian or German or Israeli schnitzel, or any other national variant. What makes tonkatsu different for me is the use of panko and the serving style of washoku, that is with rice, miso soup and tsukemono. This is when I started wondering what Francis the Dog and Chef de Francis are up to. Lo and behold, the video featured at their YouTube site was of how to make katsudon: tonkatsu finished off with cooked egg and served on rice. Tonkatsu! Of all things! If the craving continues, I will have to do something about it.

Here is the Cooking with Dog version, but if the egg part doesn’t grab you then see Japanina’s version, one I prefer.

Food | Konbu shitake broth with shitake mushrooms tofu and ramen

©MAK

To make konbu stock you need a bit under 2 cups / 400 ml of water to a piece of dried konbu (4 by 4 in / 10 by 10 cm). Do not wash off the white powder on the surface of dried konbu since it adds to the taste. Wipe with a damp cloth if you really must. Place the water and konbu in a saucepan and let it soak for 2 to 3 hours, even 4 if you happen to run errands why waiting. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Just before water boils, remove the konbu. Your stock is ready! In a meantime, wash dried shitake mushrooms under cold water to remove any grit, and then soak in boiled water till they soften and flavor the water. Prepare dry soba noodles per directions on their packaging. Cube some hard tofu. Combine the konbu stock with shitake and the shitake flavored water, and warm the broth. Place the soba noodles in a bowl, and arrange the shitake and the tofu cubes on top. Pour the konbu shitake broth, and add shredded nori if desired.

いただきます

 

Edamame soup

Photo©MAK

12 oz frozen edamame beans • 3½ cups konbu stock • 1 teaspoon salt • 2 teaspoons soy sauce • shredded nori, optional • Boil the edamame beans in salted water for 5-10 minutes, then drain and cool with cold water • Blend the edamame and konbu stock in a food processor until smooth; in batches unless you have a processor with a BIG container• Pour the mixture into a saucepan, add soy sauce and simmer for ~4 minutes • Pour the soup into serving bowls and garnish with shredded nori • いただきます

Adapted from "The Enlightened Kitchen: Fresh Vegetable Dishesfrom the Temples of Japan" by Mari Fujii

Anthony Bourdain No Reservations Osaka 大阪 Japan

What a culinary feast! *heavily salivating*

Cooking with Dog

Now that you are done with being disgusted, have an actual look at the Cooking with Dog channel on YouTube.  Laughing yet? That’s right, “it’s not what you think…” Francis the Dog is the host of the show.  This silver gray poodle presides like a master of ceremonies over the preparation-cooking space and talks you through all the recipes that Chef de Francis, the lovely Japanese lady, prepares with such ease, dexterity and simplicity that you shouldn’t be surprised if you decide to give it a go. At the very least, you will salivate.  The flow is no doubt enhanced by Chopin’s ‘Minute Waltz’ playing in the background in every episode. Francis’ favorite music. Highly addictive!

How to Make Bento (Japanese Boxed Lunch)

Hail to YouTube! Yet again. Fear not. ‘Cooking with Dog’ will make it worth your while. Classical music in the background. Touches of quirky kitchen creativity.

どうぞめしあがれ

(douzo meshiagare)

Sushi Rice Recipe

Photo © MAK

Till I cracked the code, this is the only rice I could get right.

1 cup short grain sushi rice

1 ¼ cups cold water

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon caster sugar

Pour the rice and water into a pot, cover and bring to boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to low and cook the rice covered for 15 minutes or until tender.
Try not to stir the rice or lift the lid during cooking. Dissolve the sugar and a little salt in the vinegar then add the mix to the rice. Transfer the rice to a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave to cool.