it will stop raining*

Christmas came early for me this year.

 All sorts of goodies with a lovely postcard (photo by Henri Cartier-Bresson)

THANK YOU, Ai!

Miso-Sauteed Pork

Someone explain to me why this is called  'MISO-Sauteed Pork'?!

Recipe adapted from Iron Chef Chen's Knockout Chinese.

serves 1

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz thinly sliced pork belly

1/2 onion, sliced

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Mixture A:

1 tsp grated garlic

2 tsp Doubanjiang (Chinese chili paste)

1 tsp Hoisin sauce

Mixture B:

1 tbsp sake

1 tbsp soy sauce

dash sugar

dash pepper

Directions

1. Cut pork into bite-size pieces. 

2. Heat oil in a pan and cook pork slowly at medium heat until crsispy.  Add mixture A and stir.  Add onions and saute until tender.  Add mixture B and stir-fry for 15-20 seconds. 
3. Serve over rice of udon noodles.

Shrimp Fried Rice

I'd have to say this is one of my favorite things I cooked this year. So simple, yet so deeelish!

Recipe from Steamy Kitchen.

serves 4

 Ingredients

8 ounces small uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt (or 1/2 tsp kosher salt)
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cooking oil (divided)
3 eggs, beaten in a small bowl
2 stalks scallion or green onion, minced  I used Chinese chives instead.
4 cups previously cooked leftover rice, grains separated well
3/4 cup frozen carrots and peas, defrosted
1 tablespoon soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce if you are making a gluten-free version)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Added diced spam.

Directions
In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the salt, pepper and cornstarch. Let the shrimp marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature. Heat a wok or large sauté pan on high heat. When the pan is hot enough for a bead of water to instantly sizzle and evaporate, add only 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil and swirl to coat pan.
Now add the shrimp, quickly spreading out around the pan so that they are not overlapping. Let the shrimp fry, untouched for 30 seconds. Flip over and let the other side fry for 30 seconds, or until about 80% cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the pan onto a plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
Turn the heat to medium and let the pan heat up again. Pour in the eggs, stirring in a quick motion to break up and scramble the eggs. When the eggs are almost cooked through (they should still be slightly runny in the middle), dish out of the frying pan onto the same plate as the cooked shrimp.
Use a paper towel to wipe the same wok or sauté pan clean (no need to wash) and return to high heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is very hot, add the green onions and stir fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add in the rice and stir well to mix in the green onions throughout. Spread the rice all around the wok surface area and let the rice heat up, untouched until you hear the bottoms of the grains sizzle, about 1-2 minutes. Use the spatula to toss the rice, again spreading the rice out over the surface of wok or pan
Drizzle the soy sauce all around the rice and toss. Add the peas and carrots, the cooked eggs, shrimp and sesame oil, tossing to mix the rice evenly with all of the ingredients. Let everything heat back up again, until the rice grains are so hot they practically dance! Taste and add an additional 1 teaspoon of soy sauce if needed.

Spaghetti with Mushrooms

Almost same recipe as Spaghetti w/ Clams, Japanese Style. 

serves 4
Ingredients
1 lb dry spaghetti
1 large clove garlic, sliced
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1/2 -3/4 lb shimeji, enoki, and oyster mushrooms (use shiitake instead of oyster mushrooms)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons sake
3 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 cup of chicken stock
a handful julienned nori seaweed
a handful of Chinese chives
salt

Directions
1. In a large pot with salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti until tender yet al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil over low heat in a large frying pan. Add the sliced garlic and chli pepper and cook until fragrant, at least 5 minutes. When the garlic slices are turning golden, add the mushrooms and stir. Pour in sake and chicken stock, cover the pan with a lid, and cook about 5 to 6 minutes. Add Chinese chives.  Turn the heat to high, add in the cooked spaghetti and stir.
3. Arrange on serving plates and sprinkle with the nori seaweed.
I added a few drops of sesame oil and lemon juice.  I think I can better the taste of this dish by using shiitake instead of oyster mushrooms.

Steamed Eggs (계란찜)

Total wanna be chawanmushi.  :-)
Super simple recipe: 1 tablespoon of Kikkoman Hon Tsuyu (soup base) + 1/4 cup of water.  Bring it to a boil.  Add 2 eggs.  Turn off the heat immediately.  Stir with chopsticks.  Cover with a lid so the steam cooks the egg mixture.  Let it sit for about a minute or so.  Top it w/ spicy cod roe.

Amy's 4 Cheese Pizza

Add yukon gold potato slices, 2 cloves of garlic (thinly sliced), and mushrooms

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Lunch!

Chicken with Broccoli Stems

Recipe adapted from Iron Chef Chen Kenichi's Stir-fried Chicken with Green Asparagus

No asparagus at the farmer's market today.  Whenever I make an unintentional mistake at work and start having a panic attack, my boss tells me there's always another way to resolve the issue.  No asapragus?  Yes broccoli stems!

I'll put up the recipe later this week.

P E S T O

I used most of the leaves from my basil plant.  It's looking somewhat naked and sad now.

Recipe from Food Network

yield: 1 cup
Ingredients
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Directions
Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.
If freezing, transfer to an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and stir in cheese.

:(

Yaki-Onigiri with Spicy Cod Roe

$1.50 onigiri mold

brown rice onigiri brushed with soy sauce + sesame oil

top'd with spicy cod roe, nori, and green onions

Tasty Hayashi Rice

tomorrow's lunch: leftover hayashi sauce over udon noodles

serves 8

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb onions

1 lb meat

2 tablespoon cooking oil

3 cups water

1 box Tasty Hayashi Rice Sauce Mix

Directions

1. Cut meat and onions into thin slices.

2. Heat oil in a pot, cook meat and onions over high/medium heat for 5-7 minutes.

3. Add water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

4. Remove from heat, break the sauce mix and put into mixture.  Stir until completely melted.  Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

5. Serve over rice or udon noodles.  (I added carrots and beech/shimeji mushrooms to the sauce.)

my very first etsy purchase arrived today :-)

Labor Day Weekend

Gunmo, he turned 14 in April.  He's like a little brother I never wanted.  I have a love/hate relationship with him.

Hint of autumn.

Mr Spider

Drawing #2

NY strip steak with brussel sprouts.  (Gunmo got a slice.)

Spicy Eggplant

Same recipe as Chicken with Basil but with eggplant and pork.

First food drawing.  My mom got that cute rice bowl for me over the weekend. :-)

Tofu Steak

Recipe adapted from Everyday Harumi

serves 4

Ingredients
1 lbs 5 oz soft tofu
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 oz fresh ginger, grated
2 scallions , finely sliced
4-5 tablespoons all-purpose flour - for coating
3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
katsuobushi to garnish
soy sauce

Directions
1. Drain the tofu and cut into four pieces.  Wife off any excess water with paper towel.
2. Season the tofu on both sides with salt and pepper adn then spread with the minced garlic.
3. Lightly coat the tofu pieces in flour.
4. Heat a little oil in a skillet and when hot add the tofu, cooking until it is crspy and browned on both sides.
5. Serve with the grated ginger, scallions, and katsuobushi on top.  Finish by dressing with soy sauce

Cucumber & Seaweed Salad

Recipe adapted from Everyday Harumi

serves 4

Ingredients

1/4 oz dried wakame seaweed

2 Japanese cucumbers

2/3 cup of rice vinegar, seasoned

grated fresh ginger - to taste

Directions

1. Wash and soak the seaweed for 10 minutes, then cute into bite-size pieces.

2. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and slice diagonally into pieces.

3. Place in a bowl, spinkle some salt over the slices, lave for 10 minutes.  Then squeeze firmly and place in a clean bowl.

4. Combine a pinch of salt and seasoned vinegar in a bowl and mix well, then add the cucumber and seaweed and leave in the refrigerator to chill.

5. Serve in small dishes with a pat of grated ginger on top.

H O T

Record high temperature in San Francisco today.

homemade popsicle - pineapple, peach, & mango juice with blueberries.