08.03.03 Delicious Details

Last night's delicious details:

Appetizers (Recipes):

Edamame
Boiled Soy Beans
Yasai Sembei
Like Chips, but made with real vegetables; Renkon (Lotus Root), Kabucha (Japanese Pumpkin), Carrots, Satsuma-imo (sweet Potatoes)
Ika no Karami-ni
Spicy Squid
Tempura
Assorted vegetables battered and deep fried with a dashi dipping sauce

Flavors of Japan (Recipes):

Sanshoku Kimpira
Tricolor Stir-Fried and Boiled Vegetables; Gobo (Burdock), Konnyaku (Yam Cake), Carrot
Tofu no Suteki Kinoko Sosu
Tofu Steak with Mushroom Sauce
Inari-zushi
Sushi in Tofu Pouches
Ume-shiso Omusubi
Pickled Plum Rice Balls
Tori to Shitake no Takikomi-gohan
Chicken and Mushroom Rice
Gyuniku to Renkon no Itame-ni
Beef and Lotus Root

Desserts (Recipes):

Nishoku Baika-kan
Red & White Plum Blossoms
Mikan Zeri
Tangerine Jelly Cup

Music

Memoirs of a Geisha Soundtrack
Jean Pierre Rampal - Japanese Melodies For Flute and Harp

Appetizers

Edamame (Soybeans)
A classic standard, impossible to mess up
Ingredients:

• 1 bundle Fresh Edamame (soybeans) or 1 pkg Frozen Edamame in the pod
• Water
• Salt

Instructions:

1. Remove the pods from branches, but do not remove the beans from the pods.
2. Place the pods in a pot with water to cover and add salt. Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Boil for 25 minutes.
3. Drain and salt well. Serve hot or cold with an extra dish for shells.

Yasai Sembei (Vegetable Chips)
You have to slice the vegetables REALLY thin to get them crispy and frying will take much longer than you think.
Ingredients:

• 2 small stalks Lotus Root, thinly sliced and rinsed well
• 1 Sweet Potato, thinly sliced and rinsed well
• 1/4 Kabucha (Japanese Pumpkin), seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 Carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• Oil for deep-frying
• Salt for deliciousness

Instructions:

1. In a deep frying pan, heat oil to 350F degrees and deep fry each vegetable until crispy. Drain on a rack or on top of paper towels. Sprinkle each vegetable while hot with salt.
2. Can be made in advance and stored in a container.
3. Serve with a dipping sauce: 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 tbsp wasabi, dash of dill.

Serves 10

Tempura
After investigating several options, we went with a boxed mix for the batter, and it worked PERFECTLY! Couldn't have asked for better results.
Ingredients:

• 8 Japanese Green Peppers, slit to prevent bursting
• 8 spears of Asparagus, cut in half
• 1 Onion sliced into rings, keeping the rings together with toothpicks
• 1 Sweet potato, sliced
• 8 Shitake Mushrooms, stems removed
• 1 box Tempura Mix, prepared
• Oil for deep-frying
• 1 1/2 cups Dashi
• 3 tbsp Shoyu (soy auce)
• 3 tbsp Mirin

Instructions:

1. When all of the veggies are prepared, heat oil in a frying pan to 350F degrees.
2. Prepare the batter, it should be slightly lumpy
3. Dip each slice of vegetable in the batter one by one, just before it goes into the frying pan. Drop into the hot oil, cooking only a couple ingredients at a time, do not layer!
4. Fry until the surface is golden brown and crispy. Remove from the frying pan and drain off the oil.
5. Combine the dashi, shoyu and mirin. Bring to a boil then pour into individual serving bowls. Serve the tempura with the dipping sauce while hot.

Serves 4

Flavors of Japan

Sanshoku Kimpira (Tricolor Stir-Fried and Boiled Vegetables)
Takes a lot of chopping, but worth the work. Also keeps well for a couple days, and makes and excellent side dish.
Ingredients:

• 1 Gobo (Burdock), washed, peeled, cut into matchsticks and rinsed well
• 1 Konnyaku (Yam Cake), cut into matchsticks
• Water
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 2 Taka no Tsume (Dried Red Chili Peppers), seeded and chopped
• 1 Carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 cup Dashi
• 1 1/2 tbsp Sugar
• 4 tbsp Shoyu (soy sauce)
• 3 tbsp Mirin
• 2 tsp Sesame Oil

Instructions:

1. Place the konnyaku and water to cover in a pot, bring to a boil and drain. Put the konnyaku back into the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to crackle.
2. Add the oil, peppers, burdock and carrot and stir-fry. Add the dashi, sugar, shoyu and mirin. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until most of the cooking sauce is absorbed. Sprinkle the sesame oil before turning off the heat.

Serves 6-8

Tofu no Suteki Kinoko Sosu (Tofu Steak with Mushroom Sauce)
The sauce is excellent and could be used on anything. The tofu was very good, but we wished we had cut the pieces slightly smaller.
Ingredients:

• 2 Momen-Dofu (Hard Tofu cakes), wrapped in paper towels for 30 minutes to drain
• 1 tbsp Shoyu (soy sauce)
• 1 tbsp Katakuri-ko (Potato Corn Starch)
• 1 tbsp Water
• 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 4 tbsp Butter
• 1/2 lb Shimeji Mushrooms, stems removed, separated into bunches of 2-3 stems each
• 1 tbsp shoyu
• 3 tbsp White Wine
• Salt & Pepper
• 3 tbsp Cream

Instructions:

1. Cut the tofu in half.
2. Mix 1 tbsp shoyu, 1 tbsp katakuri-ko and 1 tbsp water in a bowl.
3. Dip both sides of the tofu in the seasoning sauce.
4. In a frying pan or skillet heat 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter and saute the tofu slowly on both sides until nicely browned. Place the tofu on individual serving plates.
5. Empty the pan, heat the remaining oil and butter and saute the mushrooms. Add 1 tbsp shoyu, wine and salt and pepper and cook 1 minute. Stir in the cream and spoon the mixture with the mushrooms over the tofu.

Serves 4

Inari-zushi (Sushi in Tofu Pouches)
Mmmm...sweet goodness
Ingredients:

• 6 cups Freshly Boiled Rice
• 4 tbsp Rice Vinegar
• 4 tbsp Sugar
• 2 tsp Salt
• 30 Aburage (Thin-Fried Tofu)
• 3 cups Boiling Water
• 1/2 cup Sake
• 1/2 cup Shoyu (soy sauce)
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 3 tbsp Mirin

Instructions:

1. Place the rice in a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix the vinegar, salt and sugar until salt and sugar dissolve. Sprinkle over the rice and mix quickly and gently, fanning with a hand held fan so excess moisture evaporates.
3. Place the thin-fried tofu in one layer in a colander and pour boiling water over them to remove excess oil. Turn them over and repeat on other side.
4. Boil the 1/2 cup sake, 1/2 cup shoyu, 1/2 sugar and mirin in a flat pan. Add the pouches and cover with a drop lid. Cook over medium heat for 12 minutes until only a small amount of liquid remains. Remove the tofu and drain on a plate.
5. Fill the tofu pouches with the rice and wrap them neatly.

Serves 6 - 8

Ume-shiso Omusubi (Pickled Plum Rice Balls)
One of my favorites, a tangy, colorful way to eat rice
Ingredients:

• 10 cups freshly boiled rice
• 7 Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums), cored and chopped
• 20 Green Shiso Leaves, chopped

Instructions:

1. Mix the rice, pickled plums and shiso leaves lightly and quickly.
2. Pour cold water into a mixing bowl.
3. Use a plastic rice-ball mold to form rice in various shapes. Rice molds are available at Japanese-style food stores. If you don't have a mold, or don't want one, wet your hands with the water and place about 1/2 cup of the rice mixture in one of your palms. Make it into a ball, by gripping and rolling it in your hand. do the same to the remaining rice to form 20 rice balls in all.

Serves 10

Ika no Karami-ni (Spicy Squid)
Doesn't make a lot, would make a great appetizer with toothpicks
Ingredients:

• 2 fresh Ika (squid), gutted & skinned
• 2 Taka no Tsume (dried red chili peppers), seeded and chopped
• 3 tbsp Sugar
• 4 tbsp Sake
• 3 tbsp Shoyu (soy sauce)
• 2 tbsp Mirin
• 1 tbsp Rice Vinegar

Instructions:

1. Cut lengthwise along the side of each ika and open it up. Diagonally score the surface of the main part of the ika and cut into 1" x 2" lengths. Cut the tentacles into 2" lengths.
2. In a shallow pan, bring the peppers, sugar, sake, shoyu, mirin and vinegar to a boil. Add the ika and boil for 1 minute. Remove the ika from the pan and continue boiling the sauce for 1 minute. Return the ika to the pan and boil again for 1 minute. Repeat this procedure until the cooking sauce is thick enough to coat the ika.

Serves 4

Tori to Shitake no Takikomi-gohan (Chicken and Mushroom Rice)
Really delicious!
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups Japanese Rice, rinsed & drained
• 2 1/2 cups Dashi stock
• 2/3 lb Boneless Chicken Legs & Thighs, diced
• 2 tsp Shoyu (soy sauce)
• 2 tsp Sake
• 2 Aburage (Thin-fried tofu), finely sliced
• 8 Chestnuts, shelled, skinned & halved
• 8 Shitake Mushrooms, sliced thin, stems removed
• 2 tbsp Sake
• 5 tbsp Shoyu

Instructions:

1. Place the rice and stock in a heavy pot and let stand for 30 minutes.
2. Sprinkle the chicken with 2 tsp shoyu and 2 tsp sake. Let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Add the chicken, tofu, chestnuts, mushrooms, 2 tbsp sake and 5 tbsp shoyu to the rice and mix well.
4. Cover the pot and cook over medium high heat until boiling. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand for 20 minutes.

Serves 4

Gyuniku to Renkon no Itame-ni
Delicious, one of the favorites, hard to eat with chopsticks.
Ingredients:

• 1 Medium Lotus Root, about 1/2 lb, peeled, halved and sliced into 1/4 inch slices, rinsed well
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1 Onion, sliced
• 1/2 lb Ground Beef
• 1 tbsp Shoyu (soy sauce)
• 5 slices fresh Ginger Root
• 5 tbsp Frozen Green Peas
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• 4 tbsp Water
• 1 1/2 tbsp Shoyu
• 1/2 tsp Slat
• 2 tbsp Mirin

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a pan, saute the onion until soft. Add the beef and ginger and stir-fry until the beef is brown.
2. Add the lotus root and green peas and stir-fry for a while. Add the seasonings, cover the pan and cook over medium heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often.

Serves 4

Dessert

Mikan Zeri (Tangerine Jelly Cup)
Beautiful and delicious, the jelly is served in the tangerine shells. We served it with molded white chocolate that had been infused with orange extract and green food coloring.
Ingredients:

• 10 sheets of Gelatin or 2 tbsp Powdered Gelatin
• 6 tbsp White Wine (we used Chardonnay)
• 10 Mikans (tangerines)
• 4 tbsp Sugar
• 3 tbsp Cointreau
• Cool whip (optional)

Instructions:

1. Soak the gelatin in the wine.
2. Cut off the top 1/4 portion of each mikan. Save the lid. Remove the flesh from the base. You will use the mikan as a bowl, so be careful not to destroy the shell, and be sure to clean out thoroughly. Squeeze the juice out of the mikan flesh.
3. Add the sugar and Cointreau to the mikan juice and mix well to dissolve the sugar.
4. Melt the gelatin in the wine in the microwave in 30 second intervals until completely dissolved. Stir into the juice.
5. Divide the liquid into the cups and chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
6. Serve with a dollup of Cool Whip if desired. Cover with the lid.

Serves 10

Nishoku Baika-kan (Red & White Plum Blossoms)
More beautiful than delicious, I would use gelatin instead of agar-agar which produced and interesting texture.
Ingredients:

• 2 sticks Agar-agar, soaked in cold water until soft
• 1 Cooking Apple, pared, cored & sliced
• 3 tbsp Water
• 1 2/3 cups Cold Water
• 5 tbsp Sugar
• Red food coloring
• 3/4 cup Cold Water
• 5 tbsp Sugar
• 1 cup Milk
• 5-6 drops Almond Extract

Instructions:

1. Squeeze the water from the agar-agar.
2. Cook the apple for the red blossoms in the 3 tbsp water until soft and puree in a food processor.
3. Break 1 stick of the agar-agar for the red blossoms into pieces and place in a pan with 1 2/3 cups cold water. Bring to a boil and cook slowly until the agar-agar has completely melted.
4. Add sugar to the agar liquid and boil until dissolved. turn off the heat and pour the agar liquid bit by bit into the apple mixture, stirring constantly until smooth. Add food coloring.
5. Pour into a wet, shallow pan to set. Chill until serving.
6. For the white flowers, break the agar-agar stick into pieces and cook as in Step 3 with 3/4 cup Cold Water.
7. Add the sugar and boil until dissolved. Turn off the heat and stir in milk and almond extract. Pour into a wet, shallow pan to set. Chill until serving.
8. Cut the agar-agar of bother colors with a small flower-shaped vegetable cutter or cookie cutter (about 1 - 2 inches in diameter, preferably a 5-leaf flower). Lay one white blossom atop a red one to make 10 pairs. Then make 10 pairs with red blossoms on top. Serve.

Serves 10