Napa Cabbage Millefeuille with Pork Belly

28Nov09

http://1tess.wordpress.com

Mille–feuille (pronunciation: \mēl-ˈfwē, mēl-ˈfœ-ē\) is an interesting word, coming from French, means a thousand leaves. It is usually a dish composed of puff pastry layered with a filling (as salmon or cream). In this case however, cabbage leaves are layered with the sliced pork, mashed umiboshi, and kombu. Then they are arranged edgewise in a heavy pot: the layers look like petals of ruffly flower. Like many casseroles, it is not so beautiful on the plate, but the rich and savory flavor is more than enough compensation…

Filed under: Japanese Food, Nimono, Pork, Simmering   |  4 Comments
Tags: cabbage, pork belly

The Japanese are not the only ones eating ketchup on spaghetti!

23Nov09

The memory of all that No, no they can’t take that away from me a 1937 song written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and introduced by Fred Astaire in the film Shall We Dance. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExmoiGZuiFQ&w=130]

Yes. I’m still on about spaghetti with ketchup—I really did want to like spaghetti Napolitan. I have fond memories of the summer and fall of 1974, when I shared a house with three other girls, poor students all. Almost the only times we spent together were unpredictable weekday lunches when we’d find ourselves gathered in the kitchen. We’d cook up a nice pot of macaroni stirred with butter, tomato juice, and ketchup, then sit in front of the television to watch Days of Our Lives—those were noteworthy meals. Ah. Student days…

Filed under: Japanese Food, Noodles, Western Influenced food, Yakimono   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: hot dogs, ketchup

Spaghetti Napolitan

21Nov09

http://1tess.wordpress.com

My husband doesn’t like ketchup very much. So, with J out of town, it’s my chance to make spaghetti Napolitan: spaghetti with ketchup sauce—hardly a typical Italian pasta dish. The recipe comes not from Naples but from Yokohama, Japan. Recipes include mushrooms, peppers, onions, hot dogs, tonkatsu sauce, and ketchup. Sometimes other kinds of sausages, slices of ham, or bacon are used instead of the hot dogs. Sometimes the sauce includes other vegetables such as Eggplant, D, Carrots, Broccoli, And so on.
[no dill, dates, daikon, dandelion, durian, nor dioscorea (yam)]

Filed under: Noodles, Stir-Frying, Western Influenced food   |  7 Comments
Tags: Spaghetti Napolitan

Golden Kimizu Sauce

17Nov09

http://1tess.wordpress.comThis meal is very pretty with slices of the palest pink chicken breast, bright green asparagus, and golden sauce. The breast is steamed with lemon slices and sake so it’s luscious and juicy. The kimizu sauce is made with egg yolks, sugar, and vinegar so it is sweet and smooth. I discovered that sometimes Ms. Shimbo adds a little Japanese mustard, and the bit of heat wakes up the flavors. The other advantage of this meal is that it is equally satisfying hot, room temperature, or cold. J. took a container to eat on the road. And in the creative spirit of wafu pasta, I finished it for dinner on spaghetti.

Pages: 1 2

Filed under: Japanese Food, Mushimono, Poultry, Salads, Dressings, and Sauces, Steaming, chicken   |  3 Comments

Chicken and Chestnuts

14Nov09

http://1tess.wordpress.com

Chestnuts are an autumn favorite in Japan. And chestnuts are now a favorite of mine; this is the third time I’ve made this special recipe and is the best. Frozen, peeled chestnuts are a reasonable compromise for convenience. Using skinless, boneless chicken thighs, though more expensive, are a convenience well worth the cost. To replace the extra flavor added by cooking meat on the bone, I used a cup of strong homemade chicken stock rather than the dashi. If you are concerned that this compromises the Japanese flavor, you could add a piece of kombu as the food cooks, or add shiitake. By caramelizing the sugar before adding the chicken, I could be sure that the sugar really did darken and deepen the flavor. This is now a recipe I can make more than once a year. I think we will enjoy!

Pages: 1 2

Filed under: Japanese Food, Nimono, Simmering, chicken   |  5 Comments
Tags: chestnuts