Category Archives: Simmering
Poaching Eggs with Art and Technology
Onsen tomango, Japanese hot spring eggs achieve a perfect balance between cooked and raw: the white with a texture like delicate custard, the yolk firm but bright yellow with a creamy texture. I cannot duplicate the slow cooking in a natural hot spring. Soft cooked eggs are the closest, and very delicious topping toast, noodles, or salads. But they are very tricky to cook to exactly the balance of cooked but runny. Until Mr. Tess brought home a gift of these wonderful silicone “poach pods” I thought poached eggs were beyond my kitchen skills. They work like magic! And are easy to clean, and don’t take up much kitchen drawer space.
Poaching Eggs with Art and Technology
Onsen tomango, Japanese hot spring eggs achieve a perfect balance between cooked and raw: the white with a texture like delicate custard, the yolk firm but bright yellow with a creamy texture. I cannot duplicate the slow cooking in a natural hot spring. Soft cooked eggs are the closest, and very delicious topping toast, noodles, or salads. But they are very tricky to cook to exactly the balance of cooked but runny. Until Mr. Tess brought home a gift of these wonderful silicone “poach pods” I thought poached eggs were beyond my kitchen skills. They work like magic! And are easy to clean, and don’t take up much kitchen drawer space.
Oysters So-Men Love
My new love is oysters: Until recently, I never ate them (except for canned and smoked), but if I could I would now seek out my new paramour in cities, towns, villages… on coasts around the world, then the world would be (so to speak) my oyster.
Mine is a case of oyster tastes on a tilapia budget…
The ugly, delectable, addictive little beasts!
Oysters So-Men Love
My new love is oysters: Until recently, I never ate them (except for canned and smoked), but if I could I would now seek out my new paramour in cities, towns, villages… on coasts around the world, then the world would be (so to speak) my oyster.
Mine is a case of oyster tastes on a tilapia budget…
The ugly, delectable, addictive little beasts!
Hayashi Rice (Mix)
Hayashi rice (ハヤシライス) is a popular Western-syle dish in Japan. It is made with thinly sliced meat (usually beef), onions, and button mushrooms, simmered in a thick red wine, tomato, and demi-glace sauce. The sauce is served atop or alongside steamed, buttered rice.
I bought a package of Hayashi Rice Sauce Mix, imported from Japan by S&B. Very convenient? I don’t know!
It would without doubt be a delicious dish made from scratch. Links to posts I’ve written related to this topic.
Hayashi Rice (Mix)
Hayashi rice (ハヤシライス) is a popular Western-syle dish in Japan. It is made with thinly sliced meat (usually beef), onions, and button mushrooms, simmered in a thick red wine, tomato, and demi-glace sauce. The sauce is served atop or alongside steamed, buttered rice.
I bought a package of Hayashi Rice Sauce Mix, imported from Japan by S&B. Very convenient? I don’t know!
It would without doubt be a delicious dish made from scratch. Links to posts I’ve written related to this topic.
Cheese Grits, Japanese Style?
I was surprised to hear that my sister-in-law, who has traveled far and wide, has never eaten grits. This post is dedicated to her!
Grits are traditionally served in the U.S. South, east of the Mississippi River. Grits were first made with our American native corn by the indigenous American Indians of the region to preserve corn over the year from harvest to harvest. Grits are produced by treating corn kernels with an alkaline bath to remove the tough skins of the kernels, then dried and coarsely ground. The resulting product is made into a porridge and served for breakfast or as a side dish.
And they are very bland, but have texture. One can take a Japanese donburi idea to make a wonderful breakfast or light meal by adding toppings of your choice: cheese, grebenes, okra pickles, chipoltle Tabasco sauce
Cheese Grits, Japanese Style?
I was surprised to hear that my sister-in-law, who has traveled far and wide, has never eaten grits. This post is dedicated to her!
Grits are traditionally served in the U.S. South, east of the Mississippi River. Grits were first made with our American native corn by the indigenous American Indians of the region to preserve corn over the year from harvest to harvest. Grits are produced by treating corn kernels with an alkaline bath to remove the tough skins of the kernels, then dried and coarsely ground. The resulting product is made into a porridge and served for breakfast or as a side dish.
And they are very bland, but have texture. One can take a Japanese donburi idea to make a wonderful breakfast or light meal by adding toppings of your choice: cheese, grebenes, okra pickles, chipoltle Tabasco sauce
Autumn Chicken and Chestnuts
Chicken and chestnuts simmered in a salty sweet satisfying sauce is a favorite meal at this time of year, enjoyable for dinner guests—even folks who are not familiar with Japanese food). While a French fricassée of chicken might include olive oil, butter, garlic, herbs, and chicken stock or even some white wine, this Japanese recipe is both familiar and exotic with the flavors of saké, sweet mirin and caramelized sugar, soy sauce, and black pepper.
It’s a savory party in your mouth!
Autumn Chicken and Chestnuts
Chicken and chestnuts simmered in a salty sweet satisfying sauce is a favorite meal at this time of year, enjoyable for dinner guests—even folks who are not familiar with Japanese food). While a French fricassée of chicken might include olive oil, butter, garlic, herbs, and chicken stock or even some white wine, this Japanese recipe is both familiar and exotic with the flavors of saké, sweet mirin and caramelized sugar, soy sauce, and black pepper.
It’s a savory party in your mouth!
Japanese Cabbage Rolls
These are cabbage rolls with the Japanese flavors of saké, soy sauce, ginger, dashi, and mirin from the book Practical Japanese Cooking by Shizuo Tsuji.
I’ll say that it’s surprising that cabbage is an integral ingredient of Japanese home cooking.
And it is very tasty.
Japanese Cabbage Rolls
These are cabbage rolls with the Japanese flavors of saké, soy sauce, ginger, dashi, and mirin from the book Practical Japanese Cooking by Shizuo Tsuji.
I’ll say that it’s surprising that cabbage is an integral ingredient of Japanese home cooking.
And it is very tasty.
Another Thousand Leaf Cabbage
Cabbage does not bring to mind Japanese cuisine! But home cooks have a repertoire of recipes to take advantage of the humble inexpensive tender-sweet cabbages which come to market in autumn and winter. These meals are homely and comforting, warm and rich, and as you can see: they are not necessarily beautiful to the eye. Don’t be deceived. One cannot “judge a book by its cover.”
The “thousand leaves” (mille-feuille in French) in this casserole are layered horizontally with a pork stuffing. The casserole in my previous post involved layering the cabbage leaves vertically. The flavor of this version is also very different from the other. Enjoy!
Another Thousand Leaf Cabbage
Cabbage does not bring to mind Japanese cuisine! But home cooks have a repertoire of recipes to take advantage of the humble inexpensive tender-sweet cabbages which come to market in autumn and winter. These meals are homely and comforting, warm and rich, and as you can see: they are not necessarily beautiful to the eye. Don’t be deceived. One cannot “judge a book by its cover.”
The “thousand leaves” (mille-feuille in French) in this casserole are layered horizontally with a pork stuffing. The casserole in my previous post involved layering the cabbage leaves vertically. The flavor of this version is also very different from the other. Enjoy!
Beef Donburi
Donburi meals are Japanese comfort food, served in fast food restaurants, available in ready to heat-and-serve packets, or cooked at home for family. Donburi (kanji: 丼; hiragana: どんぶり) are also the over-sized rice bowls themselves. Rice, usually white rice, is topped with meat, seafood, tofu, and/or vegetables. I wanted something a bit more hearty. I used a delicious nutty 6-Grain Rice mixture from Kagayaki.
Beef Donburi
Donburi meals are Japanese comfort food, served in fast food restaurants, available in ready to heat-and-serve packets, or cooked at home for family. Donburi (kanji: 丼; hiragana: どんぶり) are also the over-sized rice bowls themselves. Rice, usually white rice, is topped with meat, seafood, tofu, and/or vegetables. I wanted something a bit more hearty. I used a delicious nutty 6-Grain Rice mixture from Kagayaki.
Japanese Spareribs
Serve this casual meal to family or close friends: it involves messy eating-with-your-fingers. The pork ribs are so tender that using a knife and fork would be silly. Of course you know how much fun it is to slip an edamame pod between your teeth to extract the tasty peas…
Japanese Spareribs
Serve this casual meal to family or close friends: it involves messy eating-with-your-fingers. The pork ribs are so tender that using a knife and fork would be silly. Of course you know how much fun it is to slip an edamame pod between your teeth to extract the tasty peas…
Stewed Soybeans
Mr. Tess made a lovely garbonzo bean soup with potatoes, garlic, rosemary, and some “secret” ingredients. It was luxurious with a dollop of sour cream.
His soup got me thinking about the humble hardiness of beans and how they satisfy a desire for homey comfort. They are easy to cook, soaking and simmering without much attention from the cook, and yet they can be seasoned in all the variety of cuisines around the world.
I found a recipe for simmered soybeans, Japanese style, online and began to gather the ingredients. I found hijiki, a dramatic black sea-vegetable (allright, it’s seaweed), carrots, dried shiitake, and the usual suspects: saké, mirin, shoyu, and sugar.
My bag of soybeans was missing! Had I simply left them at the old place? (yes, we are still moving house…) Was my memory slipping?
Stewed Soybeans
Mr. Tess made a lovely garbonzo bean soup with potatoes, garlic, rosemary, and some “secret” ingredients. It was luxurious with a dollop of sour cream.
His soup got me thinking about the humble hardiness of beans and how they satisfy a desire for homey comfort. They are easy to cook, soaking and simmering without much attention from the cook, and yet they can be seasoned in all the variety of cuisines around the world.
I found a recipe for simmered soybeans, Japanese style, online and began to gather the ingredients. I found hijiki, a dramatic black sea-vegetable (allright, it’s seaweed), carrots, dried shiitake, and the usual suspects: saké, mirin, shoyu, and sugar.
My bag of soybeans was missing! Had I simply left them at the old place? (yes, we are still moving house…) Was my memory slipping?
Simmered Shiitake
http://1tess.wordpress.com/2009/02/23/simmered-dried-shiitake-mushrooms/
This is a traditional way of cooking dried shiitake. They can be served with other simmered vegetables, sliced to use as a noodle topping, or minced with shiso or parsley and tossed with rice and toasted white sesame seeds. You can make these mushrooms a pantry-staple; they freeze well, and they add a nice flavor and texture to many other dishes.
Simmered Shiitake
http://1tess.wordpress.com/2009/02/23/simmered-dried-shiitake-mushrooms/
This is a traditional way of cooking dried shiitake. They can be served with other simmered vegetables, sliced to use as a noodle topping, or minced with shiso or parsley and tossed with rice and toasted white sesame seeds. You can make these mushrooms a pantry-staple; they freeze well, and they add a nice flavor and texture to many other dishes.
Korean Braised Beef: Chang Jorim 장조림
Beef braised in soy sauce is a popular appetizer in Korea. Like oxtail soup, it is made with a relatively inexpensive cut of meat which is unfamiliar to me. Like oxtail, beef shank is rich in fat and collagen thus making both good candidates for long slow gentle cooking which produce delicious broths.
To be honest, I had not planned to make this dish! There is a lot on my mind these days so sometimes I don’t pay close attention to what I’m doing. Twice I accidentally bought the wrong soup: wanted chicken and wild rice—got 1. spinach and wild mushrooms, 2. jalapeño chile! So at least oxtails and beef shank look almost similar in that they are both round, with a bone in the center…
Korean Braised Beef: Chang Jorim 장조림
Beef braised in soy sauce is a popular appetizer in Korea. Like oxtail soup, it is made with a relatively inexpensive cut of meat which is unfamiliar to me. Like oxtail, beef shank is rich in fat and collagen thus making both good candidates for long slow gentle cooking which produce delicious broths.
To be honest, I had not planned to make this dish! There is a lot on my mind these days so sometimes I don’t pay close attention to what I’m doing. Twice I accidentally bought the wrong soup: wanted chicken and wild rice—got 1. spinach and wild mushrooms, 2. jalapeño chile! So at least oxtails and beef shank look almost similar in that they are both round, with a bone in the center…
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