Somen for Summer

When the weather gets warmer, I immediately begin to crave the cold noodle dishes of my childhood.  Somen, Hiyashi Chuka and Zaru Soba are all favorites.  For some reason, somen noodles seem to taste better as Nagashi Somen, or flowing noodles diners fish out of a stream or special chute made of bamboo.  I usually serve Somen with mentsuyu sauce for dipping, with julienned cucumber, tamago, carrot, scallion, and ham on chicken. I recently came across a recipe for Chilled Tomato Somen from humblebeanblog.com and had to try it.  The somen noodles stand up well to the garlic, tomato, and basil and the wheat noodle is refreshingly light compared to pasta.

How to Slay a Dragon Fruit

I was first served Dragon fruit years ago, as part of the breakfast at a hotel.  Dragon fruit is reportedly a good source of antioxidants, fiber, calcium, and vitamins B1, B2, B2, C. To select a ripe dragon fruit, choose one with bright, even color skin.  A few blotches are okay, but too many and it will be overripe.  It should not be to mushy, but should give a little, like a kiwi or peach.  Although the fruit comes in both magenta and white fleshed varieties, I have only ever come across the white in markets.  The bright magenta version is a supposedly more flavorful, but I love the contrast of the bright white with the magenta shell.  To serve, cut in half, scoop out, cube and serve in the skin shells.  

Wafu Burger

My husband and I love a Wafu Burger served at a small neighborhood restaurant.  It has an amazing topping of grated daikon with a gingery, soy flavor and was served on a bed of sauteed onions and bean sprouts.  At home I tried to recreate it with organic ground beef, lots of minced ginger, and a little soy sauce  and sesame oil.  Lightly mix until just combined, form into patties, and cook according to personal preference.  Unfortunately I realized a little too late that we were out of daikon.  I decided to top with beni shoga, a Japanese pickled ginger that I always have on hand for yakisoba.  It turned out pretty well, but I need to try again next time I have daikon on hand!

Puffy Apple Pancake

I have learned that when I'm entertaining, I prefer spending time with my friends than in the kitchen.  This has always been harder for me at brunch.  Gone are the days when I make individual waffles, pancakes or omelets for guests.  This apple pancake is an easy recipe for weekend brunch entertaining. Slice and caramelize 6 granny smith apples in a large oven safe skillet. Mix 3 eggs, 3/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt and 2 Tb sugar in a blender and pour batter over apples. Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 min, or until puffed and golden. Serve right away.

Pork and Pappardelle

I love to read cookbooks, and my collection is probably in the hundreds.  For some reason, I rarely actually cook from them.  These days I am most inspired by blogs and the occasional recommendation from a friend.  Luckily a friend recommended this recipe from Smoky Pork Papparadelle from Food & Wine.  It includes a list of specialized ingredients, including smoked sea salt, champagne vinegar, and pappardelle - a pasta that is not easily found in every supermarket.  I think this combination of flavors is perfect, but it is still an excellent dish with regular salt, white wine vinegar, and a tubular pasta that catches the shreds of pork.  This is a hearty cold, rainy day kind of dish.  It is smokey with a slight sweetness and the pork just melts in your mouth.

Smoky Pork Pappardelle

Pork Pappardelle
adapted from Food & Wine

2-pound piece of boneless pork shoulder

2 Tb canola oil

1 each Granny Smith apple, medium onion, and carrot, cut in 1-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 thyme sprigs

1/2 cup tomato paste

3 cups liquid (mix of chicken stock and dry white wine)

1/3 cup white wine vinegar (champagne if available)

3 Tb honey

3 Tb mascarpone cheese (sour cream would work)

sea salt (smoked if available), freshly ground pepper

1 Tb chopped parsley

1 lb cooked papparadelle (or tubular pasta)

Preheat the oven to 300°. Season the meat with salt and cook in an enameled cast-iron casserole on medium high heat until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate.

Add the apple, onion, carrot, celery, garlic and thyme and cook on medium until beginning to brown. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it deepens in color. Add the liquid and bring to a boil. Add the vinegar and honey and bring to a simmer.  Return the pork, cover and transfer to the oven. Braise for about 3 hours, turning once halfway through, until very tender.

Transfer the pork to a plate. Strain the sauce into a large bowl.   Pour the sauce back into the pot. Shred the pork; discard any pieces of fat. Return the shredded pork to the sauce and stir in the mascarpone. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.  Serve over pasta and sprinkle with parsley.  

Addicted To Kale

I love the hearty bitterness of kale.  Growing up, my Mom made a great Japanese inspired version with dashi and katsuo.  Over the past year, I've been introduced to some fantastic new ways of using kale.  Kim Severson from the New York Times posted this amazing recipe for Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad.  I never thought of eating kale raw, but it's now a staple in my kitchen.

Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad

Over the past year, recipes for kale chips have been proliferating through food blogs and magazines.  They really are that good.  Roasting the kale really transforms the hearty green into a crispy lightness that is impossible to describe.  Wash and dry kale, removing stems and ribs.  Lightly coat w/ olive oil, add salt, pepper and roast in a 400-415 degree oven.  Start checking after the first 8 minutes, mix often and remove as they are done.  They are ready when crispy and lightly browned at the edges.

Kale Chips

Cooking with Gobo

I  have long been a fan of gobo in Japanese cooking.  It is probably most often found in kinpira gobo, a braised dish of julienned gobo and carrot, with soy, mirin, sugar, sake, and sesame oil.  In pickled form, it is also found in makizushi.

Gobo

A friend mentioned that she tried gobo fries at an izakaya in Tokyo, and I decided to try making them myself.  I couldn't find a recipe, so after soaking the gobo in water to remove the bitterness, I experimented with various oil temperatures based on recipes sweet potato and potato fries.  I couldn't seem to get the right temperature and cooking time to get rid of the woodiness of the gobo.  Served with chili sauce, the gobo fries were decent, but next time I see them on an izakaya menu, I would love to try them.

Gobo Fries

I decided to use the remaining gobo to make chips.  I used a Japanese mandoline to make very thin strips, soaked to get rid of bitterness, and dried completely.  Then I fried until lightly golden and served with sriracha mayo.  The thin chips lacked the woodiness of the fries, and I will be making them again!

Gobo Chips with Sriracha Mayo