That Time Yuko Turned Her Lounge Into A Kushikatsu Restaurant

Kushikatsu is one of Osaka’s soul foods. Click HERE for a detailed video. Tonight, Yuko out did herself by basically turning their lounge into a kushikatsu joint! It was incredible. I am so full.  First, we dipped our sticks of meat, seafood and vegetables into a white sauce of egg, milk and flour (as a sort of glue) then panko, a Japanese-style breadcrumb then, hot oil.  Before eating, we smothered our fried goods in kushikatsu sauce, which at a kushikatsu restaurant you can ONLY DIP ONCE! I write that in capitals because it’s a big well-known rule however; at Yuko’s, we had our own individual set of sauce, lemon and salt which we could freely double-dip into. For dessert, we had my vegan, sugar and gluten free crumble (with 2 tubs of ice-cream LOL). How great is this ? I heart sharing love and culture through food!

Vegan turnip, carrot and bean soup

This was simply an “I need to use up these vegetables” moment that just happened to work. It’s so easy it’s not even a recipe and I’m no chef, I just chopped some veggies and put them in a pot with water and some spice then hovered impatiently over it then burnt my tongue badly from it.

1 onion, chopped small

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tomato paste

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

3 or so cups water

2 cups small white turnips, chopped

1 cup wild carrots, chopped (regular carrots are OK, too!)
1/2 cup green peas

1 can of all natural mixed beans

Fresh coriander
Salt and pepper

Saute onions with oil in a medium pot on medium heat until translucent.

Add tomato paste and saute for a further minute.

Add everything else (spices, vegetables, water) and simmer at medium-low heat for 20ish minutes. Since the beans are pre-cooked the whole thing shouldn’t take that long to cook and come together.

Pour into bowls and serve with fresh coriander and salt and pepper, to taste.

HASHTAGsurvivingajapanesewinter.

Miso nikomi udon

Last night, Fukuda sensei mad me misonikomiudon that’s miso-nikomi -udon. It was delicious of course and perfect for the cold. According to her, it’s one of the easiest Japanese foods to make – which is why I’m contemplating returning to NZ and opening shop… But, we can discuss that another time.

Basically, all it is, is boiling a whole lot of things together at once. Exactly like nabe. Which results in everything becoming super flavoursome and hot.

This is a shitty attempt at a recipe but bear with me. Or is it bare? I am forgetting my England here.

Our misonikomiudon (shit, that’s a tongue twister) contained aburaage (deep-fried tofu), scallions, egg, mushroom and kamaboko (fish cake) but you can pretty much use any type of meat (or more tofu) and any veggies you like, like cabbage, carrot, onion etc.

Here’s a basic recipe to get you started but please feel free to spice it up harharhar.

1 package udon noodles
2 cups dashi (fish stock) or use water if you can’t get your hands on some or if you’re veggo
2 tsp red miso
1 tsp mixed miso (red and white)
2 tsp sake
1 tsp sugar
meat or tofu or tofu and more tofu (thinly sliced)
vegetables (thinly sliced)
1 egg (I assume you just crack it in, maybe do this near the end)

In an earthenware pot, bring dashi to a boil.

Dissolve in the miso.

Next, sake and sugar.

Add the udon.

Wait a minute or five.

Add everything else (by arranging nicely on top) then cover.

Takes about 10-15 min or until everything looks FINE.

Stuffed cabbage rolls

I don’t know how to make them. I just know how to eat them. Yuko knows though but of course she does because she knows all Japanese food and she cooks them all SO well. Stuffed cabbage rolls or “roll cabbage” as Japanese call them are hearty and low in calories. Didn’t think such a thing exists? Well, me neither, until I tried them and felt light and full and all of the good things.

After a quick Google search, I found this very detailed recipe (video included) to get y’all started. Making roll cabbage seems a tad complicated and time-consuming to me but that’s probably cos I’ve become too used to only making muffins and smthisoothies. But, here’s hoping, you’re not as lazy.

 

Food News (unintentional discoveries and Japanese Nabe)

Are you tired of cooking the same shizz everyday?

Are you dying to spice up (excuse the culinary pun) your boring dishes?

(This is not an advertisement)

Because Chef Anisa has accidently (no relation to blog name) discovered the resolution.

Are you ready?

Simply continue putting off your grocery shopping until your fridge and pantry are not far from vacant. Then, you’ve no choice but to improvise flavors and… TADA! Hello new tastes.

This morning, I had peanut butter and KIWIFRUIT (not banana) on defrosted toast for breakfast. Is this a thing? Have you already tried it? Or have I, in first-world-problems food shortage, unintentionally stumbled across genius? Kiwi-fruit and peanut-butter is INSANE.

Anywho, I wanted to talk about Nabe or Nabemono.

Nabemono (鍋物, なべ物, nabe “cooking pot” + mono “thing or things, object, matter”) or simply called nabe, refers to a variety of Japanese hot pot dishes, also known as one pot dishes and “things in a pot.”

Thanks, Wikipedia.

After hearing my students increasingly talk of having a “nabe party” (apparently the thing to do during a Japanese winter), I was itching (or should I say, shivering hahoehah, I know I’m hilarious) to try nabe, myself. So, last night, I kind of invited myself to Kaori’s for dinner – I’m good like that. She made kimchi nabe which is basically a kimchi-flavoured soup stuffed with loads of ingredients, ingredients which continue to be stuffed into the soup while the already cooked ones are hunted and eaten. It’s a glorious cycle really.

The nabe or pot is placed on a portable stove which is placed on a kotatsu (a low, wooden table frame covered by a futon, or heavy blanket, upon which a table top sits. Underneath is a heat source, often built into the table itself) around which the dinner guests are seated. In other words, as the night progresses, you heat up in every possible way.

After eating for what seems forever, the left-over nabe is mixed with rice and egg and turned into a porridge – often eaten for breakfast the next day.

Are you salivating yet? I’m hungry all over again and I just ate that magical kiwi-fruit and peanut-butter concoction.