I have always loved udon soup, but I have never considered making my own udon noddles until I waited for one hour in line outside of the most famous noodle shop in Honolulu, Morukame Udon. The weather was perfect, and the family ahead of us very funny, but it was the view through the windows that caught my attention for the bulk of that hour. A cook was gingerly tossing around a sheet of silky dough and thinning it slowly before another next to him cut it down into beautiful fresh udon noodles. It was this experience that made me really want to have the Japanese-Hawaiian fusion dinner. I had to make my own noodles.
Tag: recipe
Poke Four Ways: Spicy Ahi Tuna, Shoya Ahi Tuna, Miso Tako, and Carrot Ginger
This is the fist dish I knew I wanted to make for our dinner this past weekend, everything else was built around the idea of fresh raw tuna in delicious sauces. I researched dozens of traditional and contemporary Poke recipes and decided to try to recreate some of my favorites from our trip. We made a creamy Spicy Ahi Tuna Poke with Avocado and Tobiko Roe and a Shoya Ahi Tuna Poke with soy and sesame. For a different fish flavor, I made a Miso Tako (Octopus) Poke and a light and colorful Ginger Carrot Poke. The flavors all worked so well together, it was one of my favorite dishes of the night!
Temaki Hand Rolls – California and Spicy Tuna
When everyone thinks Japan, they think sushi! I wasn’t exempt from this presumption, but I figured since my maki and sashimi skills are not quite up to par, I would make some Temaki Hand rolls as part of our first course.
I made two varieties, Spicy Tuna, with the highest quality sashimi tuna I could find and a California Roll made with real lump crab. I follow Morimoto’s recipe for sushi rice which I find to have a more nuanced flavor than the traditional rice vinegar and sugar recipes I have found online.
Homemade Magic Tomato Paste
I have read that homemade tomato paste is much better than the store bought (which I also love and live by), but wow, it is magic! I read in one of my cookbooks that someone referred to a stewed tomato sauce as tomato magic, I want to steal that! This is my Tomato Magic!
The Perfect New York Deli Rye
So here it is, a big loaf of rye sandwich bread. This is a technically easy loaf to make, you just need to dedicate a bit of time, allowing the sponge to bubble for 3-4 hours really helps the flavors to deepen, but if you are in a hurry, 1-2 hours will still produce a good loaf. I have read several accounts of adding pickle juice in addition to the water to the sponge, and it produced wonderful results. The flavor is much richer (and really not pickly) after the loaf is baked. Rather non-traditionally, you will find that I combine the traditional caraway seeds with fennel and coriander for a bit more excitement! If you want a traditional loaf, simply add 3 tablespoons of caraway seeds.
Red Snapper and Clam Hot Pot (Sugata Nabe)
Next weekend, we are throwing a huge Japanese-Hawaiian fusion dinner, so I wanted to get a head start on trying out some of the flavors. Red snapper is beautiful, it is one of my favorite fishes for dishes in which I want to present the whole fish.
For the dinner party, I will serve this dish alongside a second hot pot called Yose Nabe, generally referred to as the Anything Goes Hot Pot where I will have a plethora of flavors, so I will keep the broth simple for the Snapper Hot pot.
Tonight, I wanted to add a bit of nuance to the flavor by adding some clam meats to the broth. The pairing is delicious, but if you want to go for a more traditional flavor, omit the clams.
This can be cooked on a hot plate right at the table or cooked beforehand in the kitchen. If you are cooking it table-side, it might take a bit longer to cook through.
Burnt Eggplant Soup with Seared Wild Tomatoes
Eggplant is so tempting this time of year! My obsession lives on. My favorite way to prepare eggplant is by burning it directly on the stove top. Roasting the eggplant in this way gives the flesh a delicious smoky flavor which pairs magnificently with a bit of lemon juice.
This is a really simple and delicious soup on its own, but I love how elevated it becomes with the pairing of seared wild tomatoes. I find these little beauties at the Waverly Farmer’s market here in Baltimore, however, if they are not readily available, some heirloom cherry tomatoes will do the trick!
Roast Eggplant and Tomato Pizza
Eggplant is so tempting this time of year! I think I will try to grow some next summer! In the mean time, however, I keep buying it every weekend, so we have to keep cooking it. This week, I also wanted to make a bit of mozzarella and some pesto since my basil plant is getting pretty hefty.
Want to make your own pesto? I like a combination of arugula and basil for mine. I take about 4 cups of basil leaves and arugula leaves each, a half a cup of pine nuts, a cup of grated Parmesan, 4-6 garlic cloves, and enough olive oil to get to the consistency you like. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and adjust to your tastes.
Chez Nous 