mmm-yoso!!!

Cassoulet Soup

It's been a while since I've done a recipe post and I thought I should get this done before "soup weather" leaves us!

I'm sure long time readers recall that I will make duck confit and then my version of Cassoulet every year. Well, since we've been getting the amazing Cassoulet Beans from Rancho Gordo and also the Garlic Sausage from D'Artagnan; well, it became a regular item.....until the Missus decided that She preferred having a bean soup with these flavors. So, I started making a Cassoulet-ish bean soup.

We've been ordering from Rancho Gordo a couple of times a year since right before the pandemic started. And when they started having the cassoulet beans....really these are from Tarbais seed stock. Tarbais are AOC protected and are also really expensive to boot. I used to use Flageolet Beans; until I tried these. I've also used Rancho Gordo's "Marcella" beans, especially since RG will often run out of Cassoulet beans; a type of Cannellini Beans as well. If you'd like an interesting guide to beans with recipes, I still open up my copy of the Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Guide every so often.

Anyway, we had the bean thing and the French Garlic Sausage thing solved.

But what happens when I run out of duck confit to make my soup? Well, I'm really not going to make more until next year, or maybe not for even longer. And ordering duck confit? Man, that's a bit too pricey since I was (and am) making this bean soup every 2-3 weeks these days!

Then one day I used something we always have on hand from D'Artagnan; duck rillette. And these days; the Missus prefers that version to the one that used the duck confit!

When I first started making this....it kinda looked like this.

After making adjustments to the recipe....well, I've had over a year-and-a-half to work on things; this is what it looks like these days.

The two big additions to the soup are tomato paste and a touch of tarragon

Well, and there is the eternal bean query; "to soak or not to soak".....that is the question. After trying several different techniques (here's a good primer from the Rancho Gordo website); I now always soak my beans overnight. An additional bonus to this....I use 2 cups of the soaking liquid in the soup. As for that flatulence thing; I'm not quite sure what it is, but since I've used beans from Rancho Gordo and soaked them overnight, the Missus and our good friend "Alle" are both surprised that there's no, ahem "music involved". Strange.....but we'll take it!

Anyway, here's the base recipe......I've noted items that are "optional" in my opinion, but of course, this is made to our taste, so adjust away!

Cassoulet Soup:

Day 1 - The Beans
1 Lb dry Cassoulet(Tarbais), Marcella (Cannellini), or Flageolet beans
Water to soak

Late on the evening before making the soup, soak the dried beans in enough water to cover by 2-3 inches. The beans will soak up the water and expand, make sure to check the water level several times.

Day 2 - Let make some soup

2 Tb Duck Fat
2 Tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 - 1Lb French Garlic Sausage cut in half, then lengthwise into quarters
4-6 Ounces Diced Pancetta (optional)
6 Ounces Duck Rillette
1 1/2 Cup Diced celery
1 1/2 Cup Diced Carrots
2 Cups Diced Yellow Onion - about 1 medium
3 Tb Double Concentrated Tomato Paste (optional) - to start
1/2 Cup minced garlic (yes, for real)
1 Cup Crisp Sauvignon Blanc
2-3 Bay Leaves
1 1/2 Tb Dried Turkish/Mediterranean Oregano - to start
1 Tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 Tsp Dried Tarragon (optional)
6-8 Cups Water
2 Bunches Chard sliced thinly
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
Garlic Paste/Double Concentrated Tomato Paste/Maldon Smoked Salt/Granulated Garlic - to adjust flavors as necessary

-Drain beans over a bowl to reserve soaking liquid
-Saute the sliced French Garlic Sausage in duck fat and olive oil over medium heat to render fat in a large pot/Dutch Oven
-Remove sausage when slightly browned and set aside
-Add Pancetta and Duck Rillette to pot stirring constantly
-Once pancetta turns translucent add onion and garlic
-Once onions softens add celery, carrots, and tomato paste(if using), stirring often
-After a minute or two, crush bay leaves, oregano, thyme, and tarragon (if using) and stir into the pot.
-Once fragrant, add drained beans to pot and mix well
-Deglaze with white wine
-When wine has reduced add in two cups of bean soaking liquid and 6 cups of water
-Bring to a slow-low simmer. Do not cover the pot all the way. Check every 30 minutes add hot water as necessary
-*Optional step, the Missus likes Her bean soup at a "stoupy" (soupy-stewy), so when the beans are soft, I'll remove some and mash by hand and add back to the soup until desired consistency is reached
-Slice browned Garlic Sausage cross wise into thin slices, add to soup. and bring back to a simmer
-Once simmering, add the sliced Chard and bring back to a simmer
-After 30 minutes, taste, add more salt and pepper if needed, and adjust other seasonings.

The Missus enjoys Hers with micro cilantro, a good dose of Pasolivo Olive Oil, and usually more salt.

I like mine with micro cilantro, olive oil, and fried jalapenos for an extra kick.

Man, those beans from Rancho Gordo are so good.....and I'll do a post on Pozole using their hominy soon!

Have a happy and safe Easter!

Roadtrip (During Covid) - Odds and Ends Edition; Ragamuffin Coffee Again (Oxnard), Bistro Na's Yet Again (Temple City), and Stuffs from Etto Pastificio (Paso Robles)

*** Just a quick post to tie up "loose ends" of our road trip to Yosemite and Groveland.

The morning after our dinner at Six Test Kitchen we headed on out. We had decided to just take our time back and spend a night in the SGV. There was one place the Missus wanted to revisit in Oxnard; Ragamuffin Coffee in Oxnard, so we stopped at the Collection at River Park for our caffeine fix.

And man, the place was doing some good business on this Saturday morning.

I got a cold brew and the Missus.....well She got a Pour Over (of course) - a barrel aged Ethiopian named "Strawberry Fields Forever" and really loved it.

So much, that we ended up getting it thru mail order until they ran out a couple of months ago.

  The Missus has now moved on and we've ordered a couple of other roasts, but according to the Missus, none are quite as good as the Strawberry Fields Forever. 

She's hoping they bring it back.

Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters
550 Collection Blvd. (In the Annex Food Hall)
Oxnard, CA 93036

Getting to LA, we had decided to stay at the new Courtyard by Marriott on Atlantic....a huuuuge place. We loved the freeway access; right off the 10 and the rooms were large.

Though the view.....well, it left something to be desired......

For dinner; well we went to Bistro Na's which I've posted on a bunch of times already, so I won't drone on about it.

We ordered our usual dishes and a couple of new ones.

   Funny thing about trying newer dishes at Bistro Na's, there always seems to be a clunker in the mix. The "Princess Sweet and Sour Fish" was terrible! It had a "muddy" taste and was super sweet, lacking in nuance.....it was more Panda Express than "Imperial Chinese Cuisine" in our book.

The Smoked Duck Breast was amazing though! We ended up getting another order to go.

Bistro Na's
9055 Las Tunas Drive
Temple City, CA 91780

The next morning we got home easily.

For dinner, I decided to use some of the items I'd bought from Etto Pastificio in Paso Robles. We had been served some pasta from Etto at Les Petites Canailles and while we weren't fond of the overall dish, we loved the texture of the pasta. So, on our way to Six Test Kitchen we stopped by the shop.....the photos didn't turn out; so all I have is a photo of what we bought.

And then the dish I made using that pasta and the Pesto Genovese (you can get this Pesto at Mona Lisa in Little Italy), which is now my go to for bottled Pesto (when She's not having me make it from scratch).

I used some cherry and sun dried tomatoes.....

The Missus loved it.

Etto Pastificio (In Tin City)
3070 Limestone Way
Paso Robles, CA 93446

So that's it.......though even before we left on this road trip, the Missus had me planning another one! Stay tuned!

Hope you're having a great weekend!

My Creamy Mushroom Soup Recipe

**** I'm dedicating this post to "FOY" Lynnea, who has been asking for this recipe for a while. Sorry I took so long getting around to it!

With our recent cold spell; I thought I'd finally get around to doing a post on my mushroom soup. I know "FOY" Lynnea asked for it a couple of years ago. 

   Honestly, it ain't the most photogenic soup around, but it packed with flavor. It's also not a "large portion" soup; but really good as a starter with some toasted bread, a drizzle of good EVOO and so forth.

There are a couple of interesting things about this recipe:

1 - These days, I'm not big on measuring things out; but this recipe is an exception. I do measure quite a few things out and even weigh out the porcini mushrooms; which are quite pricey, the cremini mushrooms, etc.

2 - One of the key ingredients to this recipe is my mushroom broth/stock it adds another nice layer of flavor. When I make a batch; I always portion the stock out in 1 1/2 containers, specifically for making this soup.

3 - I have very few innovative ideas and this recipe is not exception. It is based on Jacques Pepin's  Dried and Fresh Mushroom Soup recipe in his cookbook, Essential Pepin. I thought the recipe interesting, but when I made it was quite bland for our taste. I made a bunch of changes to the recipe, but kept what I thought was the heart of it; in "essense " (no pun intended), to me the base of the recipe is the use of potato and leeks....so, you could say, it potato leek soup in disguise.

4 - Jacques Pepin also uses porcini soaked in milk; I soak my porcini in hot water, but use 1 1/2 cups of which I strain and use 1 cup for the soup and save 2-3 tablespoons which I add to heavy cream, instead of milk.

Anyway, here goes.....

Mushroom Soup:
1/2 Ounce Dried Porcini Mushroom soaked in 1 1/2 Cup Hot Water for 1 hour
1 cup + 2-3 Tb Porcini Soaking Liquid
1 1/2 cup Mushroom Stock
1 Tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Crisp-High Acidity White Wine (I usually use a Sauvignon Blanc)
4 Ounces Cremini Mushroom
1 1/2 Cup Slice Leek
1 10-12 ounce russet potato cubed
1 Cup Hot Water
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp Turkish (or similar) Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste

• While Porcini Mushrooms are soaking...
  - Slice Cremini Mushrooms. Set aside slices for garnish. You can either keep them in slices or slice to matchsticks for garnish or a little of both
  - Slice the leeks
  - Once the porcini have soaked - remove the mushrooms and chop finely.
  - Save and strain the remaining porcini soaking liquid. Keep one cup of the liquid in a cup and another 2-3 tablespoons on the side
  - Add mushrooms to a cold pot. Turn up heat to medium-high and let sit until the mushrooms start giving up its liquid before stirring
  - Add chopped porcini, leek, oregano, and saute until fragrant
  - Add white wine to deglaze
  - Add mushroom stock, 1 cup of porcini soaking liquid, and hot water.
  - While bringing the liquid up to a simmer, peel and cube the potato
  - When soup starts to boil add the potatoes
  - Simmer gently for 30-45 minutes
  - Add 2-3 tablespoons reserved porcini liquid to the heavy cream and set aside
  - Once potatoes are very soft, put into a blender and process until smooth
  - Pour blended soup back into pot and heat to a low simmer
  - Add mushrooms and fold in Heavy Cream mixture
  - Serve

When making for friends....our good friend "Alle's" mom loves this soup; I reserve the slices and add in after blending. The Missus prefers Hers without the mushroom slices and garnish and just uses a good Extra Virgin Olive Oil and crusty bread. As always, make it the way you want.

So, there you go Lynnea, I hope you try this out and enjoy it. Thanks for being so patient!

Niku Dofu

Since I wanted to start the New Year on the right foot......FOY "Som Tommy" mentioned wanting the recipe for Niku Dofu in my NYE post....he also mentioned that I really hadn't done a true recipe post in ages which is kinda true. These days, most of my cooking is pretty much by "feel"; though I will try to do a couple of recipes of items where I need to measure stuff out and such. Anyway, here goes one of those now rare recipe posts!

A couple of notes before I get started. The Missus is all about the tofu, daikon, and boiled eggs in this recipe....and of flavor. I've found that using the Kurobuta Pork Belly from Nijiya works the best for Her tastes. I have even snuck in fried shrimp to add another dimension to things. As always, please adjust the recipe to your taste.

Also, feel free to substitute veggies - you know shiitake mushrooms, that kind of stuff. Because, to be perfectly honest, I started making this as a low(er) maintenance way of keeping the Missus happy when She wanted Sukiyaki.

As for the tofu, I do one block at a time. I add the second block the next day. I found that soft tofu will start breaking down and the Missus prefers intact squares that are still super soft and moist.

I do put in one chili de arbol, which actually does make a difference in flavor and adds a bit of heat to the dish.

Also, I found that She prefers the straight forward "heat" from white pepper.

Anyway, here goes....

Niku Dofu:

1 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce - a neutral flavor like Aloha or Yamasa
1 1/2 Cup Mirin
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
3 Cups Water
1/2 Cup Sake
3/4 tsp Dashi No Moto(optional)
2 cloves garlic either grated or ground into a fine paste (optional)
1 Chili de Arbol (optional)

12 Ounces thin cut pork belly (you can substitute beef) - sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 - 2 Pounds Daikon peeled, cut into 1/2 - 2/3 inch rounds, edges rounded off
1 Medium Onion Sliced into thin strips
2 Packages Shirataki(Yam Noodles), open packages and place in a colander. Pour boiling water over Shirataki to remove the "smell".
2 Blocks Soft Tofu (see note below)
6 Soft Boiled Eggs
2-3 TB Avocado or a neutral cooking oil
White Pepper to taste

• Open one block of tofu, drain, place a clean dish cloth, cheesecloth, or paper towels around and then a plate on top to remove moisture.
  - In a pot heat the oil until it starts to shimmer add chili de arbol if using to flavor the oil
  - Add pork belly and saute until the pork just starts to cook through - season with white pepper if using
  - Add onions and garlic cook until onions are soft and translucent
  - Add mirin and sake and bring to a boil and stir occasionally to burn off alcohol
  - Add soy sauce and sugar, stir well and return to a boil. The miasma should be quite fragrant right now. If you have a taste; it will be very salty and sweet....thus
  - Add water and return to a boil. Let simmer for a few minutes and lower the temperature.
  - Add Dashi no Moto if using; stir well
  - Add slices of daikon and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the daikon start absorbing the sauce and soften. Use a skewer to check doneness. If you have a drop lid you might want to use it now. Or place parchment paper to make sure the daikon is completely submerged.
  - Add shirataki and combine
  - Once daikon reaches desired tenderness; cube the tofu and gently add.
  - Let simmer
  - A few minutes before serving; add the boiled eggs

So there you go....kinda easy. "Niku" basically means meat, so feel free to sub your favorite....I mean really; this is "meat and tofu".....

Hope you enjoy ST!

Happy New Year!

Or is it really? Well, it been a pretty rough two years.......unlike last New Year when I kept away and did my Osechi search on the 30th....this time, like I'd done every year since it seems forever, I decided to head on over to Nijiya today at 9am. Somehow, I must have missed the memo and found the place packed when I arrived at 5 to 9.....apparently, they decided to open at 8am!

Needless to say; it was a zoo around the osechi and I gave up taking photos after taking a few of the seafood....

I quickly grabbed some Osechi for a good friend whose mom and dad is visiting from Italy and went to look to make something for the Missus.....but go figure; they were out of daikon and tofu??? What the heck. Oh well, I guess it just kinda fits into the pattern of the last two years?

I headed on over to Marukai....which, just like Nijiya, decided to open at 8am as well....they've recently renovated, probably due to being acquired by Don Quijote, and changed the whole layout....but no decent Osechi, but I did get tofu and daikon.

And so, the Missus got some humble Niku Dofu for dinner....which She had been craving anyway. And like usual we plan a quiet New Year anyway.....

Anyway, we'd like to wish everyone a safe New Year...with our best wishes and hopes that you are all safe and in good health.

Best Wishes for a Happy (and safe) Halloween!

I thought since I didn't do one of these last year (you know why, right?), I'd go ahead and do one for this year as I've done many times in the past. Like I noticed last Christmas, it seems like folks are really going all out with the decorations; even in our neighborhood. 

Man, talking about putting in some work here.....

I didn't see this one crawling out of the ice plants and it kinda startled me......

 Folks have put in some effort this year!

Have you noticed the same thing?

We're still keeping a low profile this year as well, but wish everyone a safe Halloween.

I'd usually leave things right here; but thought I'd add in a couple of  interesting, perhaps a bit scary things this time around.

Here goes.....

Is the House from the Movie Psycho Located in Bay Park?:

Well, of course not. The set used for the Bates Motel is located on the back lot of Universal Studios.

However, I recall a conversation back in the times "BC" (Before Covid) at my favorite local watering hole, with an old timer who grew up in the area. He told me that when he was going to Bay Park Elementary in the late 60's there was a rumor going around that one of the houses in the neighborhood was rumored to be the house used for Psycho....... I asked which one and was told it was the house on he corner of Denver and Milton which gave me pause. We had actually looked at this house when it was on the market in the early 2000's.........

And of course it's not the house from Psycho....though it does bear some resemblance. Anyway, it was built in 1888 (!) and is known as the Stough-Beckett Cottage. You can read an entertaining article here. I also read that it is the only site in Clairemont listed in the City of San Diego Historic Site Board Register.

And then there are the graves still buried under San Diego Avenue:

So, I've recently done a couple of takeout orders from Congress Cafe (I'll post on those soon). While I'm waiting for my order, I'll often take a walk.....there's not much happening at 8am on a Sunday morning in Old Town, so it's a fine time to explore. On my first visit, there was one thing I wanted to find; especially after reading this.

Yes, there's the Whaley House, once named the most haunted house in America. But what I wanted to see was past the Whaley House....near the El Campo Santo Cemetery.

And I'm sure there are so many stories.....

But what I was interested in was located on the sidewalk in front of the cemetery. There are discreet, small brass medallions like this one.

Yep......"Grave Site".

In 1942 San Diego Avenue was widened and many graves were paved over. In 1993 ground penetrating radar was used and 17 more graves were found. Notice the plaque reads "more than 20 men, women, and children who lie buried beneath San Diego Avenue". And only one grave was exhumed and moved......you can figure out why I think.

Man, no wonder they say Old Town is haunted! And this stirred up old memories of a similar situation in my old neighborhood. Anyone recall the faceless ghost at Waialae Drive-In? Here's something from the Honolulu Advertiser back in 1959!

And I grew up a half block from this house.....

Spooky yeah?

And because this is a food blog; here's what we had for dinner tonight.

Have a great week!

Saturday Stuffs - BBQ Chicken Returning to San Diego, Dogs & Aguas Coming to Linda Vista, and Other "Stuffs"

Just a couple of things for another warm Saturday.

BBQ Chicken Returning to San Diego - In the Former Ichiro Spot:

I saw a sign over the former location of Ichiro's which closed at the end of January after over 35 years. I drove on in and was somewhat surprised.......

Looks like BBQ Chicken is returning to San Diego. I'm sure some folks will be happy.....I hope they've improved the recipe a bit as I was not a big fan of the chicken; at least when they were open in San Diego.

4344 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Dogs & Aguas Coming to Linda Vista:

I saw this sign as I was driving past Linda Liquor the other day.

 Looks like something called "Dogs & Aguas" is coming soon. I'm assuming in the Linda Liquor shop?

I know our "FOY" Junichi lives in the area.....so perhaps he might know more?

6950 Linda Vista Rd.
San Diego, CA 92111

And to my surprise:

Early in the week I made one of my regular visits to Nijiya. Walking toward the market, I stopped dead in my tracks. You see; this is what the storefront looked like.

Anything look out of place to you? I'm not sure why; but not having the "line-up" area, the distancing spots, the attendant, and all the other "Covid set-up" kind of threw me for a loop. Shows how much I'd gotten used to all the precautions. It felt kind of surreal in a way as I'd gotten used to that set-up....was this actually happening, or was it perhaps a mistake???

This is how it was.......

I will say, that most folks are still wearing masks when shopping and there still social distancing when going to the cashiers.

Nijiya Market
3860 Convoy St Ste 109
San Diego, CA 92111

It's been pretty warm out there and frankly, I'm kinda tired of cooking, so we've been keeping things pretty simple around here......

We hope everyone is doing well and having a wonderful weekend!

Recently Consumed

I had ST email me asking what happened to my usual New Year Osechi post, the one I've been doing since 2005. I have noticed that the availability for sale has gone down over the years and the model has increasingly become a "preorder" one. Of course, this year was even more different...….so I just went for a visit during a short break on the 30th and found, that even at 11am, there were pretty slim pickins'.

And frankly; I thought the lines on NYE were going to be crazy; which they were......I drove past on NYE and the line stretched all the way across the mall! So perhaps this 15 tradition has come to an end.....

As for us? Well, I used up the rest of our Duck Confit, along with my bag of Cassoulet Beans from Rancho Gordo, which has been selling out of everything since Covid, and some Garlic Sausage from D'Artagnan and made the Missus Her Cassoulet. She specifically wanted duck in the cassoulet along with a duck leg on top and also a fried egg.....

There have been quite a bit of beans/lentil soup and stews in the mix this year. Is it just me; or does it feel much colder this year? Or is it just that I'm working from home so much?

And still having a pound of garlic sausage left; I did a sort of white bean stew, using the sausage, pancetta, duck rillette, and chard.

The Missus requested Oden "Her way", which meant no kamaboko or chikuwa....only the expensive stuff. This time I put in some kokubo (turnips) which She enjoyed.

And then of course; there's my comfort food".

And....I even went ahead and made Karaage Curry......

Left over Soppressata from a recent order from Salumi Chicago made a decent frittata. Topped with Truffled Marcona Almonds....

And there it is....a round up of dishes that I remembered to take photos of the last couple of weeks.

Tell me, what have you been eating at home?

Midweek Meanderings - Catching Up with Dennis of A Radiused Corner and Recently Consumed

Just a few items for your Wednesday consumption.

Catching Up With Dennis:

I've had a at least half a dozen emails and comments asking me if I'd heard from Dennis of A Radiused Corner. Dennis and I trade emails every so often and if he'd kindly just let folks who enjoy (and miss) his blog knows what's being going on and how he's doing. And of course, being the great guy he his, he was more than happy to answer a few questions.....

And so without further ado; here it is:

It's been a while since you've posted, so what's been going on with Dennis of A Radiused Corner?

Hi Kirk! Getting a promotion a few years back probably contributed the biggest to the damper on blogging. I still regularly photo document my meals (which is pretty normal these days but back then was considered peculiar if your friends found out...). I visit my family every other year in Japan and still enjoy visiting nostalgia inducing joints and quirky shops. Looking back I guess I always appreciated most the intangibles of meal experiences.(?)

I recall running into you a couple of times at Nijiya before the pandemic hit and haven't seen you in a bit, how has life been during these times? Where, if any places have you been frequenting for groceries, take-out, and dining in?

I visit Nijiya occasionally to buy my preferred brand of dashi shoyu, tofu and bonito flakes. As much as I'd like to support my local businesses I actually haven't been eating out at all and been making simple meals at home. (A good excuse to finally use those fancy knives I've accrued over the years, lol.) I think with all my family being in Japan I'm extra cautious to not get sick.

For all the folks, like me who read, enjoyed, and followed A Radiused Corner, should we hold out hope that you'll surprise us with another post one of these days? Or do you have another platform on Social Media where we can see what's going on with you?

I may just pick it back up right where I left off one of these days. Definitely have a backlog of content. I'm more active on Instagram now which a few of my food blogger friends follow but it's actually a personal account that I don't share with the public at the moment.

And finally, anything you want me to pass along to fans of A Radiused Corner?

Yikes, fans?? I'm blushing. Popularity or monetization was never my goal for the blog (if you can tell by its odd name). I think I wanted an outlet for all the photos I'd take, and maybe try to get better at writing at the same time. I still cringe at my ramblings on especially early posts. I don't plan to take the blog down though, warts and all. Cherish the friends I made through it, including you Kirk!

Thanks for the update Dennis! And yes, we do miss your posts and whenever you're ready to start posting again we'll be here!

And to end things up; here are a couple of things I made this past weekend, before this heatwave.......

Here's the porcini ravioli from Trader Joe's with a Porcini-Cremini Sauce:

And I just got my order from Salumi Chicago and the Missus was craving Padrons with Chorizo...….I just subbed out Shishito Peppers instead.

Happy hump day!

A Taste of "Home" for Sunday Lunch

I'm kinda surprised at how busy I can be on a typical weekend morning.

For example; today, after waking Frankie, taking him for a short walk:

1 - Make food for Frankie and his Cousin Auggie - basically 9 pounds of simmered chicken thighs, carrots, sweet potato, and quinoa (yes, F is a hipster I guess). Freeze. Enough for about two weeks.

2 - Meanwhile; finish off making duck confit in the oven. (I made the duck fat yesterday and cured the duck overnight) We've got a heat wave coming this week; so I'm not going to want to have that oven on.

3 - Go grocery shopping

4 - The Missus requested Niku Tofu; so I made that

5 - Make a batch of Ume Dressing

6 - Put together the Missus's salad for Her lunch tomorrow

7 - Put duck into storage pan and wait to cool - this'll keep for months

8 - Clean

Whew; it ain't even eleven yet and I'm bushed.

I really wanted some comfort food......so I made this for lunch.

I'd been missing "home"....the untold toll of Covid-19 is the mental side of things.....no normalcy, we're not able to do many things that were part of our usual way of life. I think not being able to travel has been especially taxing, beyond all the days of work, inability to head out for dinner, the social distancing, the exhausting politicization of the pandemic.

I didn't really expect this to be good....it was an impulse buy when I went to pick-up poke for the Missus at Hawaiian Fresh Seafood Fish Market...but seeing the Chili Pepper Water...I just had to get that.....and so why not grab the laulau and kalua pork?

And it did the trick....especially the fragrance of the luau (taro) leaves.....just the aroma takes me home and back to when, still in high school, I was working (full time by the age of 16). My manager, took me under her wing, and sort of adopted me, they were part of a large family....in fact, my Mom knew the family; the Kukahiko's from growing up in Honolua! Carol would take me to family gatherings in Waianae....introducing me as her "Japanese son". She was quite a character.....all her nieces and nephews called her "Auntie Tita". Food was the best part of these gatherings; at least for me, and they had one of these huge, round metal, steamer things that looked like a buoy. All full of bombucha home made laulau....the best I've ever had. I could put away five jumbo laulau! A little 112 pound Japanese kid!

So, while there was no salted fish in the lau lau, but there was a nugget of fatty pork - in this case pork belly. It was fine...….just the aroma was worth the price, as was the condiment of choice.

And soon after, I was ready to join Frankie as the "Kanak Attack" settled in......

The power of food and our memories of it...…..

We hope that in spite of these challenging times, that you are safe and in good health!