mmm-yoso!!!

More Easy Japanese Dishes

Tonight I decided to make a few more quick and easy Japanese dishes. Because we didn't want to be cooking all evening, I chose 2 really easy dishes that took a total of about 30 minutes.

The first was Lotus Root "Kinpira", a very easy(3 step) sweet and spicy dish of crunchy lotus root that is delici-yoso with Gohan(rice).

Renkon Kinpira
Sweet and Spicy Lotus Root

1/2 lb Lotus Root
1 Tb Sesame Oil
1 Tb Vegetable Oil
1 Tb Sake
3 Tb Soy sauce
1 Tb Sugar
1 Tb Mirin
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper
Shimichi Togarashi(Japanese Chili Pepper)optional
Toasted Sesame Seeds
1/4 Cup White Vinegar
2 Cups Water

1 - Peel the Lotus Root and slice thinly. Soak briefly in Vinegar and Water to remove bitterness.

2 - Heat Sesame and Vegetable Oil in a saucepan(I add vegetable oil to increase the smokepoint of the sesame oil), using medium heat fry the lotus root until slightly translucent. Do not overcook! Add crushed red pepper, Sake, Soy Sauce, Sugar, and Mirin. Simmer until all the liquid evaporates.

3 - Sprinkle with Sesame Seeds before serving.

The second dish was very easy Simmered Wakame and Bamboo Shoots. Wakame is a very popular dried seaweed, that can be found in everything from miso soup to salads. I've even had it in a few Korean Dishes, and as Kim Chee. To say that the Japanese have been using Wakame for a long time is an understatement. Use of Wakame have appeared in Japanese documents as far back as the ninth century. This dish is a fragrant and supposedly healthy dish, that combines two very aromatic ingredients, the earthy-woody bamboo shoot(takenoko), and the oceany wakame. I used canned bamboo shoots to cut down the cooking time.

Waka-Take Nimono
Simmered Wakame and Bamboo Shoots

2 (14.5oz) Cans Boiled Bamboo Shoot Tips
1/3 Cup Dried Wakame
2 1/2 Cups Water
1/3 Cup Sake
3 Tb Sugar
3 Tb Mirin
1/3 Cup Soy sauce
1/2 Tsp Dashi No Moto(instant dashi)

1 - Cut the Bamboo Shoots lengthwise into quarters or eighths depending on their size.

2 - Place wakame into a bowl and pour boiling water over them, and drain quickly.

3 - Place Bamboo Shoots and water into a pot, cover and bring to a boil. When a boil is reached add sake and mirin and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add Sugar and Soy Sauce, and stir. Simmer for 5 more minutes.

4 - Add wakame and simmer briefly. Turn off heat and add Dashi No Moto

Some notes on the Wakame; I used the "chopped" variety. If you purchase the "whole" variety, use about 2 strands.

Enjoy!

Breakfast at The Field

This past Sunday I made another morning foray down to the Gaslamp Quarter, the center of San Diego's tourist trade and where many of San Diego's Nightclubs and Restaurants are located. This time I decided to actually have breakfast at The Field. I found parking right in front of The Field, a feat that would be impossible in a few hours, and since it was Sunday, I didn't have to feed the meter either.

The Field is my favorite Pub in San Diego and has a small but nice selection of ales and Porters. My usual beverage of choice here would be either a Draft Guinness or a Murphy's. I also enjoy the "Chips" at The Field, as well as the "Boxty" Dishes, which is a Traditional Potato Pancake filled and rolled with "filling". And we're not talking about an ordinary filling! My favorite is the Shepherds Pie Boxty, with a side of chips, and potato leek soup. So let's see there's the mashed potatoes from the Shepherds pie, the potato pancake, the chips, and the potato from the potato and leek soup - that'll be at least 4 starches! I'm in Carb heaven!

The interior of The Field was supposedly a genuine turn of the century Irish Pub that was moved piece by piece from Ireland. There are many funny and charming signs and memorabilia adorns the walls. Seating nooks and crannies are located through the Pub, which would either strike you a dark and dank, or if you're like me, warm and cozy. Many of the Employees of The Field are from Ireland, and the wonderful Irish accent is heard everywhere here, and definitely adds to the atmosphere.

This morning for breakfast you could start with items like Corned Beef and Eggs, Rasher(Irish Bacon) and Eggs, or what I usually get Sausage and Eggs. Or if you prefer to get an "early start", or need to approach "equilibrium", you could order Hare of the Dog - A Pint of Guinness and a Sausage or Rasher Sandwich. There were a few people having a pint of Guinness and Corned Beef Sandwiches this morning(at 9 am), I guess their watches were set at Eastern Time, following that old saying; "It's noon somewhere in the world."

So what did I get?(Pardon the pictures, it's always night in this Field)

No it's not a burrito, but a Ploughman's Boxty($7.95), which is scrambled eggs with rasher, sausage, and Irish Cheddar, wrapped in a potato pancake, and covered with a white gravy . My arteries shudder in fear at the very thought of eating this. To make this a complete 3 carb meal, Rosemary Breakfast Potatoes, and Wheaten Toast (which I love) are also served. For those worried about the other food groups; a slice of orange(fruits) and some parsley(veggies??, ummm, nice try, but maybe not) are also provided. Overall, I found the boxty to be a bit on the "dry" side, and the flavor of the eggs was not enough to carry through to the pancake. I think I'll stick with my Sausage and Eggs for breakfast; and "save" my boxty's for dinner. The potatoes were fine, well seasoned, and I really enjoy that dense, slightly sweet, and moist bread.

This was a fairly calorie-dense breakfast. I finished the toast and potatoes, but only manage half the boxty, and didn't even eat lunch! But if you're ever in need of a hearty breakfast in the Gaslamp, The Field deserves some consideration. But don't have too many of these, or the next "Field" you see, will be the one you're buried in!

The Field
544 5th Ave
San Diego, CA 92101

Postscript:

One last short funny story. One evening the Missus and I were having Dinner and a Pint at The Field. And the Missus sure was enjoying her Irish Stew(No longer on the menu), but something was obviously missing. Finally, unable to help Herself, She flagged down the Server and asked, "This is so delicious, but do you have any RICE?" The look on the Servers face was priceless! I got a nice sharp elbow when I whispered to the Missus, "And make sure to ask for some chopsticks too......."

Andres Cuban Restaurant

**** After 40 years in business Andres has closed

After passing Andre's Patio Restaurant on Morena Boulevard hundreds of times we finally decided to drop by during the past weekend to grab some Cuban Food for lunch:

The restaurant was fairly empty except for a family of 8 having a large lunch and another couple at a nearby table. After looking at the reasonably priced menu we ordered a few "standard" Cuban dishes to get our bearings.

We started with 1 Cheese ($1.50) and 1 Beef ($1.75) Empanada:

This was a rather inauspicious start, as the Empanadas were pretty soggy. The Cheese Empanada was especially bland. We soaked the empanadas in Habanero Hot Sauce in order to make them palatable, and didn't even finish the cheese empanada. I was starting to write this place off when the Yuca con Mojo arrived, and not a moment too soon:

This wonderfully flavored dish is delicious simplicity at it's best. Simmered Yuca is served with a slightly citrusy Garlic-Herb Olive Oil, very similar to Mojo Criollo(Spanish Garlic Sauce). If you've never had yuca, it will fool you the first time you eat it. As you initially bite into the yuca, the texture is like potato; but as you bite further you realize how really dense and starchy this tuber is. Dipped into the garlic oil, it is simply delici-yoso dense and starchy goodness.

The Missus ordered the standard Cuban beef dish Ropa Vieja ($8.95):

Literally translated as "old clothes" Ropa Vieja is beef that is stewed with onions and other herbs in a tomato based, wine "sauce", then shredded. The result here is a very tender, flavorful, and rich dish. Served with nice fragrant rice and velvety black beans, that were a bit too loose, almost like a bean soup, though the flavor was nice and mild. Altogether this is what I would consider to be a very pleasant home style meal. The portion size was excellent, and I enjoyed the "peas" as well.

I ordered the usual Cuban Sandwich ($6.95):

A classic " sandwich mixto" is a pressed roast pork, ham, swiss cheese, and dill pickle sandwich, served on "Cuban Bread", and "pressed". This process creates a very crisp crust, with a somewhat gooey interior. Though this sandwich did not really meet all the criteria, it was still good. The outer portion was crusty, and the combination of flavors were excellent. The funny thing with this sandwich is that if you remove the components and tasted each individually, you really wouldn't think much of it. It's the sum of all the ingredients that makes this sandwich, and creates a nice texture and taste. I don't think the "classic" Cuban Sandwich includes mustard, but it sure worked here.

Andre's food and atmosphere does create the relaxing impression that you are just enjoying a nice homemade meal. The service, though not very friendly, and a bit on the slow side, was adequate, and I think we will be back soon. It seems that Andre's is doing pretty good business, they are expanding into the space next door, creating a larger space that looks much more refined, though I think I enjoy the casual "patio" space.

Andre's Cuban Restaurant
1235 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110

Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf

Since fellow bloggers Jo, Reid, and Kathy have already figured out that we were going to make these; I'll get right to the point. We did see these during our Thanksgiving visit to Pearl (Yes Angie, we really did see them), but since I had just gotten the book Dim Sum - The Art of Chinese Tea Lunchby Ellen Leong Blonder, we decided to give this a shot:

We headed off to 99 Ranch Market and purchased some Dried Lotus Leaves, though I enjoy calling them Water Lily Pads.....which is what they are:

We made many changes to the original recipe, mainly because we wanted to use what we had on hand, and also because we enjoy having a bit more "filling" then the usual "smear" of filling that is the norm.

Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf

Makes 8 "packets"

2 Cups Glutinous Rice
1 Tsp Salt
6 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms - soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, then drained and sliced.
4 Dried Lotus Leaves
2 Tb Soy Sauce
2 Tb Oyster Sauce
1 Tsp Xiao Tsing
1/2 Tsp Sugar
3 Tb Vegetable Oil
1 Boneless, skinless Chicken Breast - Chopped to coarse texture
4 Oz Dried Shrimp - Soaked in water for 15 minutes and drained
1 Lup Cheong sliced to 1/4" rounds
2 Oz Char Siu cut into 1/4" dice
4 Boiled Duck Egg yolks cut in halves
1 Tb Corn Starch mixed in 1/3 Cup Water

1 - Rinse and soak Glutinous Rice in water to cover, add Salt and let soak for 1 Hour

2 - Cut each folded lotus leaf in half and cover with hot water. Soak for 30 - 45 minutes, turning occasionally to make sure leaves are totally soaked. (Since I didn't do a turkey this Thanksgiving, it was good to actually use a roasting pan for something!)

3 - Cook rice in 2 cups of water. Once rice is cooked allow to cool slightly.

4 - Combine Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce, Xiao Tsing, and sugar to create a sauce.

5 - Heat wok or skillet, add 1 Tb oil and stir fry the shrimp and lup cheong for 1-2 minutes, add chicken and stir fry until the chicken starts turning white. Add mushroom, char siu, and sauce mixture and cook for 1 minute. Stir in cornstarch mixture and remove from heat when the sauce has thickened. Place onto a plate and put aside to cool.

6 - After leaves are soaked, rinse briefly and shake of excess water. Cut off about 2 inches from the "point end" of the leaf and trim any ragged portions of the curved edges with a scissors. Stack the leaves in the same direction and set aside.

7 - Divide the cooled rice and into eight portions.Divide the filling into 8 portions as well.

8 - Place the stack of leaves with the outer edge facing away from you. Spread a light coat of oil evenly over the leaf.

9 - Divide one portion of rice into two. Place this half potion of rice onto the lower center of the leaf and form into a 2"x3" rectangle. Place one portion of filling onto the rice, and place 1 half piece of egg yolk on filling. Place the remainder of rice portion on top of the filling. Press the layer gently together.

10 - Fold bottom end of leaf over the rice. Then fold over first the left then the right edges of the leaf over rice. Then roll up the rice packet to form a rectangular packet.

11 - Place seam side down in a steamer and steam for 20-35 minutes. (The book called for 15 minutes, but it was too short and the sauce and essence of the leaf had not permeated the rice).

Some notes: The recipe in the book used raw shrimp, but we decided to just use the dried shrimp we had on hand. The recipe did not use egg yolk, which I thought was odd. We've always had this with a quarter to a half egg yolk in it. The next time we may add some peanuts for texture, and maybe a scallop. But overall these tasted really good, and weren't that hard to make - just a "whole lotta soakin' going on.

Next Up, Shrimp and Chive Dumplings????

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Turkey-Day All. Since we already did our Chinese Roast Turkey. We decided not to do another Turkey for this Thanksgiving, though the thought did cross my mind. So instead we did "brunch" at Pearl.

And an excellent brunch it was. Of course we started with some Dim Sum:

The shrimp and chive dumplings were the same as the last visit, not fried enough and a bit greasy, and lacking enough chive, but the Taro Gok was also just as good as the last visit as well. Perfectly fried, salty masago on the top, and with a nice sweet scallop in each one.

The Haw Gow, though on the small side, were filled with plump shrimp, and very tasty. The shrimp siu mai, were better then expected, and again though on the small side, were very nice.

But the reason we decided to make the drive to Rancho Bernardo was this:

Currently, Pearl is running a special. Peking Duck for $18, quite a bargain! The duck was prepared well; each slice consisted of a skin and a bit of subcutaneous fat and meat. A dozen "buns", hoisin sauce, and slices of cucumber were provided. Overall pretty good, not oily, slightly rich, and the duck went well with the Pu-Erh tea we ordered.

Of course this was the typical "two dish" preparation and it came with the minced duck meat in lettuce cups:

The nice rich savory duck meat with diced water chestnuts, and other items, made this delici- yoso!!! What a bargain for Eighteen Bucks! The service at Pearl was again superb, our Host(ess), Jennifer made sure that our water was always filled, and even "comped" our tea, telling me Happy Thanksgiving. So I guess our last experience here was not just a one time thing. Our bill came to $34.

We had a very nice Thanksgiving meal, but it was missing one standard Dim Sum dish. One of  the Missus's favorite. So on the way home, we decided to make it for ourself! Can you guess what it is?

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Cotijas - Clairemont Drive

**** This location of Cotijas has closed.

Cotijas is one of three "Taco Shops" in our neighborhood. This is about the only view we've ever had of Cotijas:

You see we've never been in Cotijas, we've always just used the drive thru, aren't they wonderful?

And in the several years we've lived around here, we've only ordered two dishes. Either this:

Or this:

Yes, look closely, these are two different dishes. The first is an artery hardening American Mexican concoction called Carne Asada Chips, the second is an equally cardiac unfriendly creation called Carne Asada Fries(both $5.09). Whoever invented these are obviously on the Surgeon General's ten most wanted list.

But oh, man these a really pretty darn good! I could go on and make glib, obtuse comments of how all the major food groups are represented; but I'm sure you can see them for yourself. The chips are in my opinion better then the fries, which get soggy much too quickly. I like versions with larger cut fries. But why split hairs? If you do need an inventory of what's in this, I'll list a few; sour cream, two cheeses, guacamole (not bad), Salsa Fresca, carne asada(little too mild, but what the heck), refried beans(luckily, not too much), cilantro, green onions, and either fries or chips. Now I know I've missed a few, but what the heck. Oh, and don't forget the hot sauce.......

Calories, we don't care 'bout no stinkin' calories, right? But in all honesty you really don't want to eat too much. Why? If you can't figure it out for yourself, let me spell it out for you:

As we're exiting the drive-thru I always laugh at this sign:

Yeah, if I live that long.....

I've never had a Shrimp Burrito from here. Can't get past those chips. I'm still trying to figure which is the lesser of two evils; this or Loco Moco's. Would it help if I said, "I just tasted, but I never swallowed?" Hmmmm, didn't think so.

Cotijas Mexican Grill
3066 Clairemont Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

Chopstix

Chopstix is a very popular Noodle House residing on Convoy Street. I'll readily admit that I enjoy Chopstix, and it is one of my favorite places:

I think much has to do with the homey, somewhat cozy, surroundings. I won't call it atmosphere, because there really is no true atmosphere. But there's something about the decor that is comforting to me. Service is always good, never very friendly, but never cold, and always very polite. Call it dependable if you will; but dependable is very comforting.

One of the dishes that order quite often is the Chasyu-Men($6.50):

The Chasyu-men has 4 slices of Chasyu; which in this case is the Japanese version which is usually a rolled and tied pork loin cooked in a soy sauce based sauce for several hours. Versus the Chinese style Barbecued Pork. The broth is chicken, pork, and soy sauce based. The noodles are thin egg noodles, and a half a boiled egg, bean sprouts, a slice of kamaboku, and green onions complete the dish. Just so you understand that dependable does not mean consistent, I've never had two bowls of ramen here that were exactly the same. I once had a broth that was so oily, I thought the Exxon Valdez had crashed into my bowl. Today the oil content was perfect, just many tiny beads of oil floated on the surface of the broth, and the flavor was balanced; controlling the saltiness of the broth can be problematic at times. I enjoy the 'al dente noodles, and everything else in this bowl. Except the Charsyu (Char Siu); today it was very, very dry and flavorless. Definitely not good eats. Good thing I didn't order the Deluxe Chasyu-Men($7.50), which has even more meat.

We usually get a side order of the Mix Tempura whenever we visit:

With 12 pieces of mixed tempura, I think this is quite a bargain. There are 4 pieces of shrimp, as well as carrot, Kabocha Squash, broccoli, and my favorite, onion rings, among other items. This type of tempura is not quite the very light and lacy, nor the thick and "eggy" type. It's more of a crunchy lacquer, and will keep for quite a while. Very tasty.

The one item that I order the most often is the Curry Rice($5.95), but today I ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry Rice($7.25):

I enjoy the Curry at Chopstix, it's beefy and slightly spicy, and has little chunks of beef and other disintegrating vegetables in it. And most of all, not overly sweet as Japanese Curries can tend to be. The Chicken Katsu in this case, are actually "chunks" of dark meat chicken breaded in panko and fried, not the usual flattened white meat. One item that made eating the Katsu somewhat ponderous, was that it wasn't sliced, so you had to pick up the whole piece with your chopstick and take a bite out of it. The katsu really didn't add anything to the dish. I'll stick with just Curry Rice next time. This dish came with Miso Soup that was way too salty, and a salad with an Asian Sesame Dressing.

I usually stay with these three dishes at Chopstix and maybe Hiyashi Ramen during the summer. I've always been unhappy when I've ventured too far from my favorites here. The Mabo Tofu is overly sweet, and I think things get really bad with combinations like Curry Ramen or Mabo Ramen.  So my suggestion, find what you like, and stick with it.

Chopstix Sushi & Noodle Cafe
4633 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

The Turkey Has Landed

I woke up this morning with a smile on my face! Today was our early Thanksgiving, and I had an 11am pick-up time for our turkey from Sam Woo. This November has been alot warmer then I remember, and I snapped this photo as I was out walking the "Boyz":

That's Fiesta Island, Mission Bay, and the Mission Bay Bridge; such a good reminder of why we live here.

I left for Sam Woo at about 1045, while the Missus started on her Dan Bing - Mandarin Pancakes; we'd decided on making this for the turkey. It is classically served with Peking Duck, minced squab, roast duck, and such. We were also aware that turkey can be a little dry, especially since this turkey would be roasted "duck-style." The recipe we used as the based on the one in Pei Mei's Chinese Cookbook Volume1:

We have always had good results from recipes in Pei Mei's Books. We did have to make several changes, and we'll note those. But as complicated as it may seem; these pancakes have only 4 ingredients!

Dan Bing

3Cups White Enriched High Gluten Flour (The English translation says Wheat Flour, but the Chinese version says High Gluten White, in cases like this we always go with the original.)
1Cup Boiling Water
1/3 Cup Cold Water
1Tb Sesame Oil

1 - Add 1 Cup of boiling water to the flour and mix well. Slowly add 1/3 Cup cold water to "dough", you may not need all of the water. Today the Missus only needed a few tablespoons. Knead dough until smooth. Cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes (the recipe says 15, but this  was not nearly enough).

2 - Working on a lightly floured board, divide dough into 2 parts and roll each into rolls 15 inches long and 2 inches round. Cut and pinch dough into 1 inch pieces. Flatten each piece with your hand.

3 - Lightly oil the whole top surface of one of the flattened pieces with sesame oil.

4 - Lay a second the second piece of dough on top of the oiled surface of dough. Pat down and, then roll the dough out, until both layers are very thin, to about 5 inch "pancakes".

5 - Cook pancake(s) in an unoiled pan using medium heat, until you see bubbles rise. (This will take anywhere from 10 - 30 seconds) Turn and cook until second side is slightly brown.

6 - Remove and separate the two pancakes. (Believe me, it does work!!!)

You can stack these pancakes and cover with a dry towel. Pei Mei also notes that you can make this in advance, stack, covered, and refrigerated. You then heat them in a steamer.

Oh, what about the turkey you may ask?

I arrived at Sam Woo, turned in my receipt, and the bird was brought out on a hook, just like the duck and chicken. It was then wrapped in foil, placed in a bag, and I was on my way. The entire car smelled of roast duck. And indeed the skin tasted like that of roast duck, though the texture was a little tougher.

The white meat was dry as anticipated, the dark meat had much more flavor. The white meat, with a piece of skin, green onion brushes, hoisin sauce, in a pancake:

Altogether delici-yoso!!! BTW, I received a quart of the duck "jus, sauce", or whatever it's called; but it's pretty heinous stuff. You'd be better off with hoisin. Altogether not bad, for a $20 Turkey. I also made some Gailan with Oyster Sauce, in addition to the other side dishes I had made earlier. We somehow managed to finish off half of the duck turkey, and the Boyz got a healthy share.

Tonight, I'll have a night of blissful Tryptophan sleep!

Getting Ready for the "Bird".

In preparation for the Sam Woo Turkey, we had to think up some side dishes. So after giving some thought as to what to serve with Chinese Roast Turkey, we decided on a few sides. And since some of those dishes could be prepared ahead of time, I thought I'd make a few of them this evening. After all, since we won't be have to wait for "bird", we really don't want to be waiting for our side dishes.

To start, the Missus thought Scallop and Corn Soup, would be a sweet, rich, and "oceany" beginning:

This soup is a mix between classic Chinese Dried Scallop Soup and Crab and Corn Soup. And pretty easy to make; though it does take up a bit of time.

4oz or 1 Cup Dried Scallops
6-8 Cups Water
4 Cups Chicken Stock
2 Cans Creamed Corn
6 Eggs Whites Lightly Beaten
1/4 Cup Corn Starch dissolved in 1/4 Cup water
White Pepper to Taste
Salt To Taste
1-2 oz Whiskey or XiaoTsing(optional)
Chopped Green Onion for Garnish

1 - Rinse the Dried Scallops rubbing gently with fingers to remove grit and any substances that sometime coat the scallops.

2 - Place scallops in a saucepan and add 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil and skim off surface foam. Reduce heat and simmer scallops for 1 1/2-2 hours until scallops are plump and tender. If water level is reduced too far; add more water.

3 - Once scallops are done transfer the scallops to a bowl. Shred scallops with a fork, or by hand. Discard any "hard" parts(like the muscle). I usually do it by hand.

4 - Add chicken stock to to saucepan and and bring to a boil. Add whiskey, if desired. Add shredded scallop back to pan. I usually do this by hand and make sure that the scallop is well shredded. Taste and add salt and pepper.

5 - While soup is boiling add dissolved Corn Starch to soup and mix. Lower heat and cook until soup thickens.

6 - Reduce heat to low and stir in one direction, Mix in egg pouring in the opposite direction.

Garnish Soup with Green Onion

I had thought that the "stuffing" would be somewhat problematic, until I saw a link on Reid's site 'Ono Kine Grindz to a recipe from the Honolulu Star Bulletin, for Mochi (Glutinous) Rice Stuffing.

You can follow this link for the recipe. Once I found that it had bacon, mushroom, and Lup Cheong, I knew I had to make it. Just a few comments on the recipe. I doubled the soy sauce and the sugar; I added 1/3 cup of the "Mushroom Water" to help flavor the rice. Use a "rice paddle" to mix the sweet rice; it's alot easier then a spoon.

Braised Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms:

I first had something similar in an ABCDE (American Born Chinese Dining Establishment) in of all places Atlanta. Can't remember the restaurant, but I recall the taste. This is really not a braise in the classic sense; but more of a dry braise. I could tell that the version I ate, had been cooked in a ton of oil, but I've cut down the amount of oil. These mushrooms are a "snap" to make!

1 lb Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms
2 Tb Vegetable Oil
2 Tb XiaoTsing
2 Tb Soy Sauce
1 Tb Sugar
1-2 Tb Oyster Sauce
3 Tb Green Onions Sliced
1/2 Cup Water

1 - Rinse or wipe saw dust and other particles off mushrooms.

2 - Heat Wok over high heat, until hot. Add oil and stir fry mushrooms until fully coated with oil.  Lower heat to medium. When the pan is "dry" add XiaoTsing and keep stirring.

3 - When XiaoTsing evaporates add 1/4 Cup Water, stir, and cover. If water immediately evaporates add another 1/4 cup.

4 - When the mushroom are slightly tender add soy sauce and sugar. When mushroom look fully cooked, add Oyster Sauce and stir to fully coat. When mushrooms are fully coated(20-30 seconds), turn off heat, stir in Green Onions and serve.

By using the water and other fluids to "dry-braise" , less oil is necessary.

So looks like we're almost ready for the Turkey. Hold on though, there are a few more dishes! But you'll just have to wait for those. Stay tuned.......

Guess Who's Making Dinner? And other Friday Silliness....

First Clue - It has something to do with this Bad "Girl":

Second Clue - It's got something to do with a "Killer Whale", for those who've read my earlier posts.

Yep, Sam Woo the "Killer Whale" will be in charge of preparing Ms. Turkey here. We got it for like five bucks after buying some groceries, and being good and practical folk; couldn't resist a good bargain. So after sticking it in the Frig, the next dilemma was, what are we gonna do with it? I mean Thanksgiving is right around the corner, no? So the logical answer would be to go ahead and make it for Thanksgiving; which we usually celebrate on the weekend before Thanksgiving, because the Missus usually works on Turkey-day. This year, I really didn't feel in the mood for doing all the brineing, prep, roasting, and most of all the constant "is it ready, yet?" And the "this is taking too damn long", "the smell is driving me nuts", and most of all "next year we're eating out" comments. It just so happens that we happened upon a sign similar to the one over this Gal's shoulder:

Wow, seems like Sam Woo is getting into the Turkey Roasting business. $15, to roast your turkey, not bad, $5 turkey plus $15 to prepare; we're getting our turkey done for 20 bucks! Of course there were the questions from the Missus and Myself. Mine were questions like; how long will this take (3days), do you need the turkey defrosted(no-frozen is fine), you get the drift. The Missus in her typical Chinese fashion asked; "How do I know it's my turkey that I get back?" All my suggestion of micro-chipping the bird got, was a "dirty look". This line of questioning ceased when I reminded the Missus in a stage whisper that the turkey only cost 5 bucks. So that's what happened; Sam Woo is now making our turkey, which I'm picking up on Sunday. Now what am I going to do with a poultry microchip?

The next question; what are we going to serve as side dishes? Even though I have a few in mind; I'll happily accept any suggestions.

Some silly links:

Jones-ing for some really original soda flavors? Maybe broccoli, or how about salmon pate soda? Jones Soda Company has all of that, and even Turkey and Gravy flavors. The reason I know about Jones Soda, is that they make custom soda labels. You send them a pic and they'll create a 12 pack case for about $50, including shipping. I had this silly idea about ordering a 12 pack of Lemon Drop, with the picture of Sammy and Frankie on the label, titled; "From Sammy and Frankie - literally" and giving them out as gifts.

Also, don't throw out that 30 year old oatmeal that you have sitting on the shelf somewhere. It might still be good!

To finish things off for this Friday; we recently had a pretty good late night (930pm) meal at China Max. Here's a quick rundown of what we ate; all dishes ran between $6.75-$7.75:

Fried Rock Cod with Sweet Corn Sauce:

This was delici-yoso!!! But we ate it, a bit differently from the suggested method. Instead of pouring everything over the perfectly fried fish. We placed the fish in our bowl and poured a spoon or two of what was basically Chinese Corn Soup over it!

Steamed Bean Curd with Chicken and Shrimp:

Another very good dish. Creamy bean curd, with a gravy that contained reconstitued dry scallop.

Clams with Black Bean Sauce:

Overall, the weakest dish of the night. Though still pretty good.

China Max Lunch and Supper Menu

Have a great weekend!