ポテトサラダ

Dear Reader,

Tonight was quite a feast of side dishes. I couldn't decide what to eat for supper so I decided to make all sorts of side dishes until one of them peaked my appetite.

I popped the Indiana Jones trilogy into the DVD player and began cooking. 

Not in the order I prepared things, I randomly chose ポテトサラダ (potato salad) to write about first.

Lets get stirring.

Ingredients: 

• 277g Potato, peeled and cubbed
• 65g Carrot, peeled and chunked
• 1/2 tsp Vinegar
• 78g Cucumber, thinly sliced
• 40g Ham, cooked and cubbed
• 50g Onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Boiled Egg*, diced
• 2 TBSP Mayonnaise
• Salt
• Ground Black Pepper

Step 1: Boil the potato and carrot in water with some salt

Step 2: Lightly salt the cucumber.  It's going to help take away some of the liquid in the vegetable.

Step 3: Soak the onion.  This helps take the "bite" out of raw onion.

Step 4: Poke through a potato.  If it is soft, it is done.  Drain.

 Step 5: Mash the potato and carrot in a bowl. No fancy equipment needed, just the back of the fork will do.  The potato will seem powdery, that's fine.

Step 6: Squeeze the cucumber, removing as much liquid as possible then add to the bowl.
Step 7: Remove the onion from the water, shake off excess water then add to the bowl.

Step 8:  Add the ham, egg, vinegar, and mayo into the bowl then give everything a good stir.  

Step 9: Sample a little of the mixture, then salt and pepper to taste.  Very important to give it a taste test before adding more salt.
Step 10: Refrigerate or serve at room temperature.  Enjoy!

 *vegetarian option: leave out the ham

(still no idea how to sign-off)
Tappy

P.S.  Oh look, Indy's tank just went over the cliff!

Sneak peak

Pudding - Test 1

Dear Reader,

I want pudding.  Not just any pudding (especially not the shapeless American kind).  I want the flower shaped pudding you find in any convenient store in Taiwan.  Since I am inconveniently located in an area that lacks such Asian snacks, I suppose I will have to attempt to make my own.

First, to learn about pudding... (no, not the shapeless American kind).  Well, the closest I found was "custard pudding".

So tonight, lets get steaming!

Ingredients

• 100g Granulated Sugar*
• 1 TBSP Water
• 1 + 1/2 TBSP Hot Water
• 2 Eggs
• 250 ml milk

*Once again, playing with the washed raw sugar.

 Step 1: Make the caramel syrup

1. In a saucepan combine 1 TBSP water with 40g sugar.  Dissolve on medium-high heat. 
2. Swirl occasionally until the syrup begins to bubble, then swirl constantly until a nice caramel colour.  The darker the colour the more bitter it is.  This step of gaging the bitterness of the caramel by its colour is very difficult when you use the washed raw sugar like I did because right off the bat the syrup is already tinted tan.
3. Remove from heat. And carefully add the hot water, a few splashes at a time.  Swirl to combine.
4. Next, pour into a heat-safe container. In my case, a glass cocoa-mug I found at the dollar store

Step 2: Make the custard, part I

1. Crack the egg, crack the egg, crack... oh, there's only 2 eggs.

2. Whisk the eggs

 

Step 3: Make the custard, part II

1. In a saucepan, dissolve the remaining 60g sugar into the milk. I used medium-high heat. Stir constantly, didn't let it boil.

 

Step 4: Make the custard, part III

1. Combine the sugared milk and the eggs.  Didn't want the eggs to curdle so I did this slowly.  I first added a little of the heated sugar-milk into the scrambled egg.  Whisk.  Then slowly added the rest of the sugar-milk, whisking the whole way.



2. I created quite a bit of foam (was too energetic in my whisking), so poured the liquid through a strainer, and it caught quite a bit of the foam.
3. I ran it through a strainer again, into a more "pour friendly" container.  Didn't catch any more foam, so I suppose I could have just strained it the first time into the "pour friendly" container

4. Pour the liquid slowly into the mug, try not to upset the syrup.



5. Cover the mug with foil

Step 5:  Steep the mug

1. In a big saucepan (one that the mug will fit into and has a cover), place some paper towels, then the mug on top of the towel.  
2. Add hot water into the saucepan until covered 1/2 of the mug. 



3. Cover the saucepan and cook on low-low-looooowww heat** for 15-20 minutes.  Just enough to keep the water hot, but not boiling. 

4. Turn off the heat and let it sit for a few minutes before opening and removing the mug.
5. Cool in refrigerator, or if you get impatient like me, I ate it warm.

Thoughts 

• It was good...but... it's not pudding!  It's flan! grr...grr..grrrr...
• But not flan like the type you can get at Walmart.  The consistency is right for the pudding I want, but the flavor is just not there
• Urgh, too egg-y.  Taste like a sweet chawamushi
• Whow...seriously??  These recipe providers really must have a sweet-tooth.  I already cut down the sugar level in my version and it's still too sweet

**I did mention low right?  Seriously... there is a reason for that...

Mug that was on low heat that let the water boil... no, not tapioca (humm, interesting idea though)... those would be air bubbles. Major no-no!

Mug that was on SUPER LOW heat... Bubble-free!

Okay, that was an interesting experiment.  Try it if you like flan, I'm going to do more research on how to adjust the flavor... Enjoy!

(Come on! Inspiriation for a sign-off)
Tappy

ほうれん草の胡麻和え

Dear Reader,

Pinky still hurts when I type. It's actually throbbing hot compared to the rest of my hand and fingers.  I hope it will get better soon.  So until it gets better, we will keep it short and simple.

Today, we talk about side dishes (it's faster to type about).  ほうれん草 (hourenso), this delicious leafy green plant can be prepared in so many ways.  A quick look at wiki read that this vegetable was likely introduced to China via Nepal waaay back when, and was called the Persian vegetable (波斯菜)!  Fun!

But today, we focus on a Japanese way of preparing this vitamin rich plant.

Lets get boilin'!

 
Ingredients

• 1 bunch raw Spinach
• A pinch of Salt
• 3 + 1/2 TBSP White Sesame Seed, toasted
• 1 + 1/2 TBSP Soy Sauce
• 3/4 tsp Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Mirin
• 1/2 tsp Sake

Preparing the Spinach
 
Step 1: Cut off then connecting root of the spinach then...Wash, rinse, wash, rinse, wash, wash, soak.  The spinach bundles we get here are pretty dirty.  Really, it's usually got lots of dirt on it so wash it well.

After you are sure that the spinach is grit free, prepare to blanch the spinach.

Step 2: Fill a pot with water, add the pinch of salt, bring it to a boil.  Toss the spinach into the boiling water, stir it around and quickly remove it.  It should be just wilted a little.  To stop the cooking process, run it under cold water.

Warning: Over boiling may result in gooey spinach.  Although it may be good, it's the wrong texture for this dish.

Step 3: Squeeze out excess water, then set aside.

Preparing the Sauce
 
Intermediate Step A: I don't have toasted white sesame seeds laying around so, I have to toast my own.  I think it tastes better when I toast it myself anyhow.  The oil that's released when you heat up that sesame seed smells awesome too!
So, into a fry pan it goes, medium heat, stir.

Before

Note: be patient and vigilant. Don't overdo the seeds. We're looking for "toasted" not "burnt"

After

Step 4: Find the すり鉢 (suribachi) and すりこぎ (surikogi) you have hidden in the cupboard... ha ha ha, j/k. A regular mortar and pestle will do.  Grind the toasted sesame into a fine powdery paste.

Inner monologue: Really?  A mortar and pestle?  What am I?  A 17th century chemist?  Okay, I suppose if one works with spices often, it's a good investment.  It is a good thing to ground your own spices for the full effect of the spice seeds... but at this point, nope, not happening.  Too much research to do on the right type of mortar and pestle to buy and too little time.  My sesame is toasted after-all.  OH!  Look!  Father's old coffee grinder!

Alternative Step I:  Put the toasted sesame into the electric coffee grinder and turn that baby on!

Note:  Please make sure that the coffee grinder is clean and free of any artifacts before use.  To get the nitty-gritty-itty-bitty bits out: spoon full of uncooked rice, a spoon full of baking soda, grind, toss, wash, and dry.
 

I'm sure father won't mind...

Powdery, pasty goodness?  Good, move on.

 Step 5:  Mix the sesame paste with the liquid ingredients

Step 6: Pour the sauce over the prepared spinach and toss together. 

Step 7: Served cold and enjoy!
That's it.

(still in search of a sign-off)
Tappy

P.S. No way I am going to survive as a vegetarian. So this is the closest you're going to get dear reader, side dishes.

カステラ

Dear Reader,

In a recent project which involved moving heavy objects, I hurt my left pinky and right middle finger.  This has reduced my ability to type efficiently.  I never realized how difficult it is to type without the pinky until just now.The point of this story is the excuse I am going to use to explain why I am less wordy than usual.

I love カステラ (castella).  My father used to bring them home and we'd call it the "honey cake", it wasn't until I was much older and watching the anime "焼きたて!! ジャぱん" in my dorm room that I realized what this cake was really called.  I have been wanting to make this ever since. 

Don't know why I waited this long, but I finally busted out the eggs and tried to make it.  While the result is good, I feel there is plenty of room for improvement.  It's not "spongy" enough and it's still very coarse, I'll get there I'm sure.  But...them is a lot of cake for 1 person!  No matter how much I love this cake, I still need a break from them.


Anyhow, lets get bakin'!

There really isn't too many ingredients to this cake.  Over the years, I've learned (from various sources of media) whenever possible, use weight rather than volume when it comes to measuring baking ingredients.  This ingredient list makes for 1 cake loaf, the pictures show the making for 2 loaves.

• 3 eggs
• 105g granulated sugar*
• 100g bread flour, sifted
• 3 + 1/2 TBSP honey
• 2 TBSP water

*I chose to use "washed raw sugar" because I had it on-hand and the label makes the use of this type of sugar sound like anything you make with it will turn out extra wonderful.  And 'cause, it's me, I just wanted an excuse to play with it.

1. Whisk the eggs until foamy (medium-high speed).

2. While the egg is whisking, combine the water and honey. 
3. When the eggs are ready, add the sugar and crank up the whisking.  Keep at it until the mixture is thick and when you lift the whisk from the mixture, it falls in ribbons.  (This is when I'm really thankful the kitchen has a standing mixer, because it's going to take a while)

4. Lower the whisking speed and add 4 TBSP of the honey-water to the mixture.

5. Slowly add the flour, whisk until just combined. 

6. Preheat the oven to 320°F

7. Line the pan with parchment paper (makes a clean and easy removal).  The cake will rise as it is baked, so chose your pan appropriately.  To prevent overflow, the pan should only be 2/3 full of batter.

8. Pour the batter into the pan. 

9. Chopstick into the batter, draw some figure-8s to clear out any large air bubble that may have occurred during the pouring.

10. Into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Do the toothpick test.  If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done! Remove from oven onto a hotpad.

11. Stir up the remaining honey-water mixture. While the cake is still hot, brush it on the cake. The cake will soak up the liquid goodness.

12. Wait until it has cooled, cut off the sides (do not discard! just eat it). Slice...criticize... curse at it's lack of spongy-ness...wonder at the amazing properties of egg... and Enjoy!

That is it for now.  There may be follow-ups to this if I feel like trying again.

Ta-ta for now.

(need a new sign off)

Tappy

P.S.  Ow, my pinky...

Preview

Dear Reader,

I have been busy lately with holiday baking, therefore I have had no chance to upload/write about my recent adventures into cooking.

Today is no different from any other holiday-baking-day.  It is well beyond late at night, I have been going at it for a while now, and I am exhausted after 3 nights of having less than adequate sleep.  But I am mainly calling it quits for the night, because I realized too late (I even preheated the darn oven) that I do not have "bread flour" for the cake I've been eagerly anticipating to make.

I decided, therefore, to go take a shower and cozy up with the new Stephen Fry autobiography "The Fry Chronicles" that I borrowed from the library.  I was going to save that activity for Christmas day, but I suppose I can always find something else to read when the time comes.

I leave you now, with a preview of what's to come...Enjoy.

Ingeniously,
Tappy

鶏の唐揚げ

Dear Reader,

Not wanting to waste the freshly grated ginger from the previous night's cooking.  I decided to make 鶏の唐揚げ (tori no karaage) for supper tonight.  It is a dish who's prep is to be done in 3 parts.

Without further ado...

Part I: The Soaking

 

• 3 boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs. Fat trimmed, cut into 3-4 pieces.
• 2 tsp Soy Sauce
• 2 TBSP Sake
• 3 tsp grated ginger

Step 1: All in! It's a marinade... there really isn't much to it. Just plop it all into a bowl, get your hand in there and mix it up.  Let it soak for at least 15 minutes.

Part II: The Coating

• Marinated Chicken
• 4 TBSP Corn Starch
• Frying Oil

Step 2: Remove the chicken from the marinade.  Drain as much of the liquid as possible but don't pat it dry. Wet chicken will make the next step stick.

 Step 3: Add the corn starch, toss it with your hand and make it sure each piece is coated as well as possible.

Note: Consistency of paste. Fun~

Step 4: Heat up of the oil (somewhere between Medium and Medium-High), the add the chicken pieces. Not all at once, just a few pieces at a time.

This is Medium-High, it was actually too hot

Note: Eating uncooked chicken is not recommended! If the oil is too hot the coating will burn before the insides are cooked.  However, if the heat is too low, the coating just soaks up the oil too much and the meat becomes hard also.  You know your stove the best, try it in small batches if you are uncertain.

Step 5: When the chicken is a nice golden brown. Remove from oil, and drain on paper towel.

Part III: The Dipping

• 1 TBSP Rice Vinegar
• 1 TBSP Soy Sauce
• A Dash of Sesame Oil
• T TBSP Grated Ginger
• A tiny pinch of Sugar
• 2 TBSP sliced Green Onion

Step 5: Combine part 3's ingredients

 Step 6: Heat up the sauce

Step 7: Add the well drained crispy chicken and toss it around.  The coating will soak up the sauce.

Step 8: Plate up and Enjoy!

Additional Comments and Notes:

1. The dipping sauce isn't necessary.  It's actually pretty good just fried.  The vinegar does add a nice punch.
2. I've tried to make this with chicken breast.  It works.  However, I personally found it a little too tough, it is a personal preference though.
3. The green cooked green onion flavor is a little lost so I decided to add some fresh sliced green onion both for aesthetic appeal and flavor. 
4. My thought: I wonder how toasted white sesame would be added as a topping... I should try it, huh.

Ingenuously,
Tappy