Ginger makkoli stewed chicken

Chicken and shiitake mushrooms cooked with makkoli, the Korean fermented rice drink. I’m probably not the only person on the planet doing it but that was an improvisation and I loved the result.

So this is the weapon used for the crime. I’ve associated it to ginger and kuko (goji berries) to remind Korean medicinal drinks.

Cook onion, fresh shiitake mushroom a little in oil.
Then add a chicken breast, a few slices of fresh ginger, a sip of soy sauce, cover with makkoli. Cover, let on low heat.
When the meat is tender, break it in big pieces with a fork. Add goji berries, fresh spinach and a little potato starch if you want a thicker sauce. Cook slowly 5 more minutes.

Served on home-made tortilla colored with turmeric, with kimchi as a side.

And a glass of chilled makkoli.

Stir-fry du jour : sansho and red cabbage

No need to introduce again the stir-fry.

It’s easy and always tasty.

Today’s red cab’ based.

It’s flavored with (frozen) sansho peppercorn (read about it).
Photos say it all.

The pompom.

Too hot to cook ? Too hot to eat ? Cooling full course

We’re in the heat of the hot days. I don’t even feel like eating, but that wouldn’t be a good idea. Let’s make something to enjoy till the last bit !
So here is the menu :

3 brown antipasti
tofu Caprese
kurozato kanten with grapes

Lots of hot weather recommended ingredients :
Kanten (agar) and konnyaku are jellies that help digestion.
Everything plant based, lots of raw.
Different colors and vitamins.
Sour vinegar, strong wasabi.

I know that looks… special. You have raw shiitake mushrooms, sliced, marinated in a little lemon juice.

Konnyaku sticks, with negi leeks. That has no calories or nearly. That’s for the fresh texture of the konnyaku and the pungency of the leek.

Today’s natto with black sesame and wasabi.

Now about the main dish…
capr’inspiration

Too lazy to prepare a sauce, I bring the olive oil, balsamico, salt and pepper on the table.

This time, it’s made with silky tofu and negi as the herb. Silkilicious…

The hardest ! The agar agar has to be cooked 2 minutes ! What a hell. But that’s all.

Just add the flavoring : kurozato, Okinawan black cane sugar. It has a taste of ginger bread, so just that is enough.
The hardened block cut in cubes, served chilled with grapes and toothpicks :

With Chinese miso, and why the pattzukis…

I’m trying a new condiment. Well, it’s new for me. I’ve used it to give a Chinese flavor the patties of azuki beans.

Yes, again, those patties. I really love them. I should give them a name. pattzukis ? Why the obsession ? Oh, you don’t know who is posting. The truth I am an American teen, in someone else’s body, and I eat burgers all the time. And I’ve found I like liked the azuki ones better than the those made of beef ? dog ? donkey ? Well what do they give us in fast-food ? We prefer not knowing. And azuki beans are ideal for me. I get them dry cheaply since they are local. Prices really depend on geography. Exotic beans are overpriced. For instance, I buy kidney beans for occasions as they are about 10 times the price of my azuki beans.
They are not soy, so no overdose of phyto hormones. Bonus : azuki means “small beans” as they are tiny like lentils. They cook quicker that most others, in about 20 minutes (after 24 hours of soaking).

click for other posts with pattzukis

Chinese miso made with soybeans. The color of miso depends on the ingredients to make it, that goes from nearly white (rice), to nearly black (soy beans) with all shades of brown (mix of rice, soy, wheat, other grains). This one is a cousin of Japanese hatcho miso, that is also very dark, but usually firmer and not so sweet, by it’s related.

The batter (azuki, ground sesame, potato starch) is flavored with the Chinese miso, grated garlic, ginger, chili pepper and cumin. I added the minced feet of the shrooms.

Stir-fried shiitake mushrooms.

Edamame and sesame mushipan steamed bread complete the meal.

Hamachi sashimi menu

The shop was proposing a delicious hamachi (yellowtail) filet ready for sashimi. Ideal for a classic Japanese meal.

They use the thick part of filet to make sushi and the nice sashimi display, the thin bit is just as good but not so nice on pro display. So it’s sold cheaper.
Not a big work. I just had to slice and put on the plate. In Winter, this fish is getting fatter and more melty in the mouth. It was really delicious.