Home Cooking: Japanese Style

Japanese Feast, Okonomiyaki in foreground. Photo: Katharine Boston

Yes, I’ve been cooking up a storm here.  I recently hosted a delightful woman from Japan.  She stayed with me for 8 days; I delivered 3 hours of English tuition and 3 meals, every day. It was fun, and tiring, and rewarding – in many ways – not the least of which was receiving lessons in Japanese cooking!

Motoko was particular when it came to preparing Japanese food: we needed precision, in everything from how the rice was cooked and fluffed, to how the Okonomiyaki was spiced! Interesting to learn that one does NOT stir the rice to fluff, rather one cuts it with slashes deep into the cooked rice.  Not sure I mastered that, but it’s something I’ll work on.

One evening she prepared a meal of veggie sushi, which was complemented with a Japanese-style omelette known as Okonomiyaki.  The sushi wasn’t complicated, rather fiddly.  The veggies had to be cut to an exact thickness, the rice flavoured with Sushi vinegar, and the resulting sushi served with Yamasa sushi soya sauce, and of course wasabi.

Katsuobushi (image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katsuobushi)

The Okonomiyaki had to be seasoned with Katsuobushi – dried  ‘fish slices’ - purchased at the local Asian market, and a special seasoning brought from Japan. It was such a hit at our small dinner party, I asked to be taught how to make it.  Simple ingredients resulting in a delicious dish!  But of course, it includes that fishy Japanese seasoning, sprinkled with Katsuobushi, Okonomi sauce, and Japanese style mayonnaise.  NO, you cannot use Kraft Miracle Whip!

Here’s the recipe to make 2 omelets, which will serve 4 as a main course to complement the sushi, or 8 as a side dish.

• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 and 1/8 to 1 and 1/3 cups water (you have to add and stir and decide)
• 1/3 tsp Ajinomoto Okonomiyaki spice (ask for it in your Asian Market)
• 1-1 and 1/2 cups finely diced green cabbage
• 1/4 to  1/2 cup finely diced white or spring onion
• 1 cup fish slices (ask for in that same Asian market)
• Okonomi sauce
• REAL mayonnaise

Beat the eggs in medium size bowl.  Add the flour, Ajinomoto Okonomiyaki spice, cabbage, and onions; then add the water = enough to make a medium thick pancake type sauce. Mix all together with a fork. Heat, over medium-high heat,  a little oil in a medium size non-stick pan. Pour in half the cabbage mixture and cook until set enough to turn.  This is the tricky bit: cook it not so much as to burn it, yet enough to lightly toast and set it so that you can flip it without it falling apart.  (Motoko did this without a spatula, flipping it by merely holding the pan by the handle and well, flipping it! A sight to behold!  I used a spatula, of course.) Cook the other side till it’s done.  She knew it was cooked by listening: holding her ear close to the pan.  I did the same, and yes, you can tell when it’s cooked through because it  doesn’t sizzle as much.) Slide out of the pan onto a plate and drizzle – in a criss-cross, tic-tac-toe pattern – with Okonomi sauce, mayonnaise in the same pattern, the sprinkle with 1/2 the fish slices. Cut into pie slices and serve warm. Incredible!

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Wild Rice Stir Fry with Spring Root Veggies – For One!

To give you an idea of how much veg I used here’s a pic of the the turnip (I used half) and 2 yams – I used the pointy end of the cut yam. The dessert spoon is for comparison.

This is so delicious I have to share it with you!  Been getting veggie boxes delivered here, and got some small, white turnips.  Also some yams.  Decided to try a stir fry.  This is what I came up with.

• Cook 1/2 cup of wild and whole grain brown rice in just over a cup of cold water.  Bring it to a boil uncovered, slap a lid on it and reduce heat to simmer.
• Heat a non-stick skillet over high heat, reduce to a moderate heat, add a little oil and toss in 75-100 grams slivered tofu (thinly slice, then cut slices into strips).  Sprinkle with a pinch of dried, red-hot chilies.  Saute until the tofu is chewy.  About 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, slice about 1/2 a small white turnip into thin strips (about 1/4 – 1/2 inch).  You need about 1/3-1/2 a cup.  Do the same with some yam.
• Chop a medium clove of garlic, and sliver about 1/4 – 1/3 cup of white onion and about a tablespoon of fresh ginger.
• Remove tofu from pan and toss in the garlic and onion, toss it around for a moment, then add the turnip and yam.  Saute.  Drizzle in a little water to take off the heat so as not to burn the veg and garlic.
• Add a little freshly ground sea salt and a dash or two of low sodium soya sauce.  Saute, tossing frequently and drizzling in water when needed.  You just want enough water to take the heat off the pan.
• Reduce heat to medium low, add the tofu, and cook until the veggie are softened, then turn off the heat and wait till the rice is cooked.
• Meanwhile soak about 2 Tablespoons wakami sea vegetable in a little water.
• When the rice is cooked, add the rice to your veggie mix, add 2 Tablespoons shelled hemp seed, drain and add the wakame, and toss it all together, serve in a bowl and enjoy!

Delish!

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