One of my co-workers is pregnant and she is craving rice balls. Since she has treated me to lunch several times, I decided to make an old fashion homemade bento for lunch. The night before, I went to Blaine's Drive In to buy their boneless Korean Chicken which was on sale. Luckily, we had Sunday Supper leftovers of spam stuffed eggplant which was cooked in the Korean jun sytle. That is mixing an egg batter and fry your eggplant, beef, or fish.
Early in the morning as soon as the bed was fixed, I dashed downstairs to wash the rice and turn the rice cooker on. After my shower, I toasted the nori on the stove.
Turn on the stove and put the sheet of nori (laver) on the element until it gets crisp and bumpy. It might take a few seconds on each side.
In the meantime, the rice is cooked. Assemble a couple of bowls - one for water and the second for salt. You will need a rice bowl to toss the hot rice. Wet the inside of the rice bowl with a little water and salt. Put a scoop of rice and toss it around so that the rice is salted. Wet your hands. Cut the sheet of nori in half for those who are frugal. For those who are rich, use the whole sheet. Put the rice from the rice bowl into the sheet of nori. Mold it into a triangle by cupping your hands and turning the rice ball around - corner to corner. (Japanese make round rice balls only for funerals)
Assemble the parts of your bento in a container. Don't forget to get small plates and utensils for lunch and you'll look like a fabulous friend.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Whatʻs in a name
At our recent book club meeting, we discussed the novel, The Calligrapherʻs Daughter and got a chance to talk about each of our names. I was surprised that many people had their personal stories about their names. I found other people who made decisions about their own names. Which name is the primary name. Wishing to have another name. The family choice of names and their stories.
it is interesting to consider what names people would choose for themselves. It is also interesting to see how names define people. How some names seem to foster certain times of personality...or levels of energy. I would be interested in hearing how people would name themselves.
When I was a kid, I thought I would name my daughters after gems such a Pearl, Jade, Rudy, etc. But what really happened was I ended with daughters whose names end with y...Cathy, Sunny and Becky. How original is that? All of their names are exactly the opposite from my name...Muriel. Whatʻs up with that?
it is interesting to consider what names people would choose for themselves. It is also interesting to see how names define people. How some names seem to foster certain times of personality...or levels of energy. I would be interested in hearing how people would name themselves.
When I was a kid, I thought I would name my daughters after gems such a Pearl, Jade, Rudy, etc. But what really happened was I ended with daughters whose names end with y...Cathy, Sunny and Becky. How original is that? All of their names are exactly the opposite from my name...Muriel. Whatʻs up with that?
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Fretting Versus Decision Making
Why do we often torture ourselves with overanalysis? Why do we have to have a repetitive stream of consciousness that keeps bringing up the series of things we cannot resolve?
I had a problem having to do with my health and I needed to make a decision. First I was wrought with denial. "Oh no, I can heal myself." The more I worked on it, the more I had to deal with pain.
Then I started to gather information to make a decision. "What questions do I need answered? What if I did not like the answers I got? Who else should I ask? Who can I talk to?"
I packed my data in a bladder bag of overwrought anxiety and nerves. It sat and trembled. Bit by bit, I pulled information out and laid them down like pieces of an almost impossible jigsaw puzzle.
Eureka!! The answer was so clear, so logical, and so singular on what I could possibly do. I made up my mind. I talked to significant people and related my decision. Some took my decision with acceptance, others with tears, and still others with a sense of frustration. It is done. My decision is made. I feel liberated.
I had a problem having to do with my health and I needed to make a decision. First I was wrought with denial. "Oh no, I can heal myself." The more I worked on it, the more I had to deal with pain.
Then I started to gather information to make a decision. "What questions do I need answered? What if I did not like the answers I got? Who else should I ask? Who can I talk to?"
I packed my data in a bladder bag of overwrought anxiety and nerves. It sat and trembled. Bit by bit, I pulled information out and laid them down like pieces of an almost impossible jigsaw puzzle.
Eureka!! The answer was so clear, so logical, and so singular on what I could possibly do. I made up my mind. I talked to significant people and related my decision. Some took my decision with acceptance, others with tears, and still others with a sense of frustration. It is done. My decision is made. I feel liberated.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Ozoni Traditional Japanese Soup
On New Yearʻs morning, most Japanese families eat ozoni which is a soup with mochi (Japanese rice cakes).
Recipe
1 small can clams
1 soup base from the ramen package
2 c water
10 slices of kamaboko (Japanese fish cake)
1 cup mizuna (cut into 2" pieces)
1-2 mochi, cut into fourths
Empty the can of clams and juice into a sauce pan. Add water and the soup base. Bring to a boil.
Add in the kamaboko, mizuna, and mochi. Let simmer for 10 minutes or until the mochi is very soft.
Serve.
Recipe
1 small can clams
1 soup base from the ramen package
2 c water
10 slices of kamaboko (Japanese fish cake)
1 cup mizuna (cut into 2" pieces)
1-2 mochi, cut into fourths
Empty the can of clams and juice into a sauce pan. Add water and the soup base. Bring to a boil.
Add in the kamaboko, mizuna, and mochi. Let simmer for 10 minutes or until the mochi is very soft.
Serve.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Kona Brewery's Cheeseburger Pizza
Although we could have gone to Huggo's (my favorite restaurant in Kona), the thought of the scarce parking scared me off.
We chose to go to Kona Brewery which was right up the hill from our hotel, the newly renovated King Kamehameha/Kona Beach Hotel. Due to my bum knees, we drove to the restaurant and promptly missed the driveway. We turned around only to find that the parking was for the shopping center and not necessarily for Kona Brewery. Oh well.
We walked a bit to the restaurant and saw scads of people waiting in line to be seated. We gave our name and got an electronic calling card that looked like an overweight coaster with neon lights. We found seats and sat and chatted in the really nice weather.
Forty five minutes went quickly and we were seated. The waithelp was buzzing around and the place was full. We started off with nachos and salsa. Home fried corn chips, thick and salty, dipped into a thick, tomato-based salsa. Not enough salsa for the big plateful of chips but we made do. We had cold glasses of beer. Don had ginger beer, I had a longboard and Becky had the Waialua Wheat. So many people, so much action, and noise but we made do.
We decided to order the Cheeseburger pizza which came after our first beer and the devouring of the nachos. The pie was crusty but not overly doughy. The toppings were great with hamburger, cheese, tomatoes, and romaine lettuce. Adding more parmesan and pepper flakes made the great pie even more delicious!!
Our son joined us after 8:00 and we had pizza left over for him. The company was great. The food filling and then there was dessert. Becky and I shared a lava cake which was more like a brownie with vanilla bean ice cream. Luckily we shared it because if not, it would have been over the top and bordering on overstuffed land.
Many choices of pizzas, beverages, sandwiches, and salads. The best topper was the four glasses we bought for Becky to take back to California with the Kona Brewery logo and the statement: Liquid Aloha. Indeed, indeed.
We chose to go to Kona Brewery which was right up the hill from our hotel, the newly renovated King Kamehameha/Kona Beach Hotel. Due to my bum knees, we drove to the restaurant and promptly missed the driveway. We turned around only to find that the parking was for the shopping center and not necessarily for Kona Brewery. Oh well.
We walked a bit to the restaurant and saw scads of people waiting in line to be seated. We gave our name and got an electronic calling card that looked like an overweight coaster with neon lights. We found seats and sat and chatted in the really nice weather.
Forty five minutes went quickly and we were seated. The waithelp was buzzing around and the place was full. We started off with nachos and salsa. Home fried corn chips, thick and salty, dipped into a thick, tomato-based salsa. Not enough salsa for the big plateful of chips but we made do. We had cold glasses of beer. Don had ginger beer, I had a longboard and Becky had the Waialua Wheat. So many people, so much action, and noise but we made do.
We decided to order the Cheeseburger pizza which came after our first beer and the devouring of the nachos. The pie was crusty but not overly doughy. The toppings were great with hamburger, cheese, tomatoes, and romaine lettuce. Adding more parmesan and pepper flakes made the great pie even more delicious!!
Our son joined us after 8:00 and we had pizza left over for him. The company was great. The food filling and then there was dessert. Becky and I shared a lava cake which was more like a brownie with vanilla bean ice cream. Luckily we shared it because if not, it would have been over the top and bordering on overstuffed land.
Many choices of pizzas, beverages, sandwiches, and salads. The best topper was the four glasses we bought for Becky to take back to California with the Kona Brewery logo and the statement: Liquid Aloha. Indeed, indeed.
January Thought
Even a fish wouldn't get into trouble if it kept its mouth shut.Korean Proverb
And
Words have no wings but they can fly a thousand miles.Also a Korean Proverb
Have consideration before you articulate your thoughts but don't let your angry thoughts and feelings eat your body. There is a time, place, and way to deliver a difficult message.
And
Words have no wings but they can fly a thousand miles.Also a Korean Proverb
Have consideration before you articulate your thoughts but don't let your angry thoughts and feelings eat your body. There is a time, place, and way to deliver a difficult message.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Buon Natale Christmas Dinner 2010
Every Christmas, we try to have a different theme for the Christmas gathering of our family. We've had an Ohio Christmas complete with succotash, a Southern Christmas with jambalaya, an Israeli Christmas with matzo ball soup and kibbutz salad, a Hawaiian Christmas with homemade laulaus and poi. This year, my bright idea was to have an Italian Christmas dinner.
Of course, the Italians have a Christmas Eve dinner so there is not a lot of red meat in the menu. But I tweaked the menu and served the meal on Christmas day. A friend of mine (who is not Italian) told me that the Italian meal takes about six hours. When she married into a large Italian family, she did not realize that the pasta course was just one of the courses. "Warn your friends and family to pace themselves through the meal," she advised.
So, I published the menu and sent a flow chart to my family members identifying each part of each course, when it would be prepared, who would work on preparing the item, and how it would flow. My hiapo Cathy and her husband worked on games to play between courses. We brought down a croquet set in case some people wanted to work out between courses. Everything all set, we embarked on our Italian adventure.
Preparation started on Thursday as I started the stock for my minestrone and took out all of the serving platters and labeled each with a post-it note on what would go on it.
Friday, my daughter Becky and I started on the various items. This continued on Saturday. We left the house at 11:00 after we loaded our truck with the food, the chairs, the coolers, and the many pots filled with food. This must be the life of a caterer. THE MEAL would begin at 1:00 pm.
And we served:
Antipasti - Appetizer
Plate of salame, mozzarella rolls with salame and proscuetto, muenster, provolone,
and sharp cheddar cheese, Plates of tomatoes with mozzarella sprinkled with Rocking H seasoning, olive oil,and balsamic vinegar; Bowls of olives; Chunks of bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Salad Course
Caesar salad with homemade dressing and anchovies on the side; Marinated vegetables with olives (and the most delectable Applewood smoked green olives!!); Chunks of bread with replenished olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Soup Course (People could choose one or the other but many people sampled both)
Homemade minestrone with zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, garganzo beans, and pasta; Cioppino with calamari, mussells, shrimp and scallops, More chunks of bread to sop up the soup.
Pasta Course (People could choose one or the other but many sampled both)
Marinara with garlic and mushrooms on spaghetti or Clam sauce on spaghetti
Entree
Rosemary and balsamic pork loin roast with mango chutney;Grilled salmon with grilled peppers, asparagus, zucchini and yellow squash
Desserts
Panettone;Layered Jello; Cheesecake with a choice of cherry or blueberry topping; Cake; Fudge.
Aperitif
Dessert wine; Coffee; We had a fruit and cheese plate ready to go but people were too full to even look at it.
Red and white wines flowed throughout the meal although the wine drinkers were very few.
The meal ended after 8:00 in the evening and someone said, "Some of the courses were rushed." Hello, we did not want our meal to end at midnight!!
It was fun because we all sat down at several long tables, passed the food around, talked, laughed, ate, drank, and groaned at how full we were until the next course. It seems to be an oxymoron but I did not feel overstuffed as I have felt at some dinners. Perhaps eating throughout seven hours!! gave us time to digest. The effort was well worth the time AND MONEY since we were together, talking and laughing over those many hours.
I would not do this meal any time soon. In analyzing what dishes really worked, I'd say, I liked the bread with oil and balsamic vinegar, the salmon was great, the cioppino was less frightening to make than I had thought, and I loved the Caesar salad with anchovies...what a treat!!
As a cook, it was wonderful to watch people try new food (a cultural exposure for some members of our family), to see some people take seconds and thirds, and to see the family working together to move the meal from course to course. Those are the intrinsic payoffs for working so hard. As for caloric intake...each person has to struggle with their own demons so it's not my problem.
Now, what to cook for next Christmas? By the way, the croquet set never go set up and sits in its brand new plastic bag in the garage. Bon appetito!!
Of course, the Italians have a Christmas Eve dinner so there is not a lot of red meat in the menu. But I tweaked the menu and served the meal on Christmas day. A friend of mine (who is not Italian) told me that the Italian meal takes about six hours. When she married into a large Italian family, she did not realize that the pasta course was just one of the courses. "Warn your friends and family to pace themselves through the meal," she advised.
So, I published the menu and sent a flow chart to my family members identifying each part of each course, when it would be prepared, who would work on preparing the item, and how it would flow. My hiapo Cathy and her husband worked on games to play between courses. We brought down a croquet set in case some people wanted to work out between courses. Everything all set, we embarked on our Italian adventure.
Preparation started on Thursday as I started the stock for my minestrone and took out all of the serving platters and labeled each with a post-it note on what would go on it.
Friday, my daughter Becky and I started on the various items. This continued on Saturday. We left the house at 11:00 after we loaded our truck with the food, the chairs, the coolers, and the many pots filled with food. This must be the life of a caterer. THE MEAL would begin at 1:00 pm.
And we served:
Antipasti - Appetizer
Plate of salame, mozzarella rolls with salame and proscuetto, muenster, provolone,
and sharp cheddar cheese, Plates of tomatoes with mozzarella sprinkled with Rocking H seasoning, olive oil,and balsamic vinegar; Bowls of olives; Chunks of bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Salad Course
Caesar salad with homemade dressing and anchovies on the side; Marinated vegetables with olives (and the most delectable Applewood smoked green olives!!); Chunks of bread with replenished olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Soup Course (People could choose one or the other but many people sampled both)
Homemade minestrone with zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, garganzo beans, and pasta; Cioppino with calamari, mussells, shrimp and scallops, More chunks of bread to sop up the soup.
Pasta Course (People could choose one or the other but many sampled both)
Marinara with garlic and mushrooms on spaghetti or Clam sauce on spaghetti
Entree
Rosemary and balsamic pork loin roast with mango chutney;Grilled salmon with grilled peppers, asparagus, zucchini and yellow squash
Desserts
Panettone;Layered Jello; Cheesecake with a choice of cherry or blueberry topping; Cake; Fudge.
Aperitif
Dessert wine; Coffee; We had a fruit and cheese plate ready to go but people were too full to even look at it.
Red and white wines flowed throughout the meal although the wine drinkers were very few.
The meal ended after 8:00 in the evening and someone said, "Some of the courses were rushed." Hello, we did not want our meal to end at midnight!!
It was fun because we all sat down at several long tables, passed the food around, talked, laughed, ate, drank, and groaned at how full we were until the next course. It seems to be an oxymoron but I did not feel overstuffed as I have felt at some dinners. Perhaps eating throughout seven hours!! gave us time to digest. The effort was well worth the time AND MONEY since we were together, talking and laughing over those many hours.
I would not do this meal any time soon. In analyzing what dishes really worked, I'd say, I liked the bread with oil and balsamic vinegar, the salmon was great, the cioppino was less frightening to make than I had thought, and I loved the Caesar salad with anchovies...what a treat!!
As a cook, it was wonderful to watch people try new food (a cultural exposure for some members of our family), to see some people take seconds and thirds, and to see the family working together to move the meal from course to course. Those are the intrinsic payoffs for working so hard. As for caloric intake...each person has to struggle with their own demons so it's not my problem.
Now, what to cook for next Christmas? By the way, the croquet set never go set up and sits in its brand new plastic bag in the garage. Bon appetito!!
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