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Sunday Happiness = Winter Vegetables in Staub 24cm

January 25, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

I used to dislike Sundays. Lots of people don’t like Mondays but Sundays were loneliest and longest of the week to me. However, since 2010, that has changed drastically.

I am cooking cauliflower today for lunch. A whole cauliflower plus some other winter vegetables (more like left over veggies in the fridge), lotus root, Japanese sweet potatoes, carrots, carrots, brussels sprouts. Here is what I did.

1. Place all vegetables in cast iron pot

2. Add white wine vinegar, water (50ml-ish? maybe), olive oil, sea salt, thyme, ground cumin seed

3. Put the lid on and cook about 25 minutes over low-medium heat.

4. Bon appetit!

Accompaniments are La Parisienne’s demi-baguette www.laparisienneseattle.com/gallery.html and Loki Fish Co.’s smoked salmon spread http://www.lokifish.com/

I get to do this kind of stuff every weekend. Not only that, I get to share these dishes, joy, love and passion for food and cooking with my best friend. Lonely Sundays? I am so over it.

cooking, food

Color of Saffron: STAUB 22cm

January 24, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

I don’t like shopping really. No, let me rephrase that. I do not like shopping except for books, grocery and kitchen tools.

Yesterday, this little but heavy box arrived at my cube at work. I tried so hard not to show my excitement. But it was really hard, Oh My God. It was my Staub pot! When I decided I was going to get rid of all tools, pots and pans that I was not in love with last year, I especially started to invest in pots and pans. I contemplated for a LONG time, like 8 months. Which one was better for me to get, Staub or Le Creuset (I am a thinker, what can I say)? Finally I decided to get Staub and my first pot was Grenadine Round Cocotte 28cm. It was a significant decision and I enjoy cooking even more because of Staub. It is cast iron pot and it is heavy but what I love about this pot is the lid. The lid closes very tightly and steams inside really well with small amount of water. Let’s say you are cooking winter vegetables, it usually takes a long time to cook them because they tend to be dense. Because of the tight lid closure, it cooks with small amount of water, which means that it cooks with water that vegetables contain, therefore it has a stronger flavor. Also these dimples in the lid. Whoever thought about these is genius. My hat’s off to that genius. Here is why. Those dimples circulates water inside of pot and has a basting effect.

I do have an emotional connection to this series. This my 3rd Staub and this is just gorgeous. There are so many things I want to cook. This a damn good problem to have.

coffee, starbucks

Coffee Fixes Everything?: Starbucks Reserve® Sumatra Peaberry Lake Toba does

January 22, 2015January 22, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

My morning was interesting. Well, it was not interesting, it was actually bitter start.

Coffee. Yes, coffee is needed for this kind or morning or any kind of morning. Our office building has a few Clover® machines. The very first thing I do every morning is to go to 9^th floor and make myself a delightful cup of coffee. No sugar or milk is added in order to taste pure whole beans. One of perks of working on a coffee team for a coffee company is the opportunity to taste millions of different coffees. My favorite is Starbucks Reserve® Ethiopia Sun-Dried Yirgacheffe™ because this coffee gives you BAM!! blueberry smell when you open the bag and nice semi-sweet chocolate flavor. What a romantic combination.

Anyway, Starbucks Reserve® Sumatra Peaberry Lake Toba, I detected light acidity in the back of my tongue and very mild and smooth bitterness spread in my mouth slowly. This coffee also has a bright fruity note and some sort of herbal note. I was trying to think of a good description and finally figured it out. It is green apple (!) for fruity flavor and cedar wood for herbal note. This is such a charming combination of note and flavor. Sumatra Peaberry Lake Toba has juicy entry and silky/smooth finish even though beans from Sumatra are very bold, almost chewy. Because of the chewiness and density, I usually do not like Asian coffee, however, Sumatra Peaberry Lake Toba is the very first Asian coffee that I ever liked. When enjoying this coffee, I was picturing myself sitting on swing in lightly humid but comfortable morning in early summer and enjoying sunrise. I almost could see the moon fading and the sky turning from purple to deep pink to orange.

How can I carry on with the bitter morning start all day after this lovely cup of coffee. You simply don’t.

I am a firm believer of this. Coffee fixes everything.

personal view

Food for My Soul

January 21, 2015January 21, 2015by have you eaten?2 Comments

“If you strip everything away that person has, including clothes, shoes, hat, job he/she has, what kind of car, titles so forth. Family, friends, obligations, tasks, home, money, experience, past, future, I mean everything. Now take a look at person again. If you are still in love with that person, that’s the one” – unknown

I am leading a fortunate life because I do have that person.

cooking

Transformation of Two Beloved Birds: Road to Pho Ga from Free-Range Farm

January 20, 2015January 20, 2015by have you eaten?2 Comments

So, there were two chickens, running around a field. Being outside, eating healthy food and getting exercise builds nice muscles, especially on their thighs. Also, with them running around freely, it makes them stress-free. Well, maybe not completely “free” from stress but they have way less stress than caged ones.

Those 2 birds ended up at my house and my dear friends and I enjoyed tasting them so much. I oven-roasted them with winter vegetables (blogged on 1/17) and also consumed 4.5 bottles of red wine as well. Next morning, as you can guess, we were not as happy as the night before due to dehydration and headache. What does Asian mother say when you have hangover? “Eat your noodle soup!” or “Eat your miso soup!” or “What an idiot!” I decided to follow my mom’s voice. Noodle soup!

Let’s use those birds then. Carcasses into pot and shimmer for an hour, then add Royal Boat brand fish sauce and fresh squeezed lime juice. There soup is ready. Then cook rice noodle and add to the soup. Garnish with cilantro and grated yuzu (glorious Japanese citrus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzu) on top. After this, my hangover is magically gone because of togetherness of umami from chicken, tanginess of lime, saltiness of fish sauce, freshness of cilantro, then with delightful, sweet and tender aroma of yuzu. Flat rice noodle is well coated with this simple yet magnificent soup. Nothing was left in my bowl, not even a drop of the soup.

Thank you, healthy chickens. Because of you, I am getting right amount of protein, ready to build nice muscles and I feel “cage-free” from the crappy headache.

food

… (no words needed)

January 18, 2015January 18, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

I love taking a nap. Naps are magical. After taking a nap, all of my body parts and soul were revitalized. It is 3 pm and OK, I have 2 and half hours until two friends are coming to our place for dinner.

These pretty birds, 2 of them, have been taking a nap for quite a while. Not a typical nap, they have been bathing as well …with salt and lemon. It is time to wake them up. They are rested well and their body should be rejuvenated, and their soul, should be, uh well, good(?). Salt and lemon make their skin look gorgeous. Now, I even make them look prettier with quartered lemons, garlic and fresh thyme inside of their bellies. Then I coat their bodies with melted butter. Lots of butter.

Following this, they go to an even warmer place, the oven, with winter vegetables such as fingering potatoes, rutabaga, renkon (lotus root), parsnips, carrots, brussel sprouts, leeks and onions that Washington state small farmers grew with TLC. They get to enjoy the heat for about an hour and half.

Naps are magical, I said. Naps make (almost) everything better. I have proof here because these chickens tasted just delightful as the 4 of us got quiet for a while when we started eating them. Sometimes no words are needed to express how delicious the food is.

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coffee

Seattle Winter Blues: Convoy Coffee has a solution for you

January 17, 2015January 18, 2015by have you eaten?6 Comments

I do not want to see anyone, do not talk to anyone, do not want to do anything for anyone. I just want to eat, read, hang out with my dog and drink coffee. That’s it. That’s all I want to do, kind of like hibernating. Wait…coffee?

We are lucky, we really are. We have quite a few neighborhood farmers markets all through the year just within city of Seattle. I go to U-District Farmers Market near University of Washington every Saturday Morning. http://seattlefarmersmarkets.org/markets/u-district This farmers market has this Japanese farmer who grows and sells Japanese vegetables that you cannot buy at any other farmers markets or regular grocery stores. Also U-Dist farmers markets seems to have more vendors and variety. I love small vegetable farmers, butchers, fishermen, mushroomerries, bakers, beer brewers, tea makers, ginger-ale brewers, honey farmers, fermented food producers, poets with 1948 Royale typewriters are all together and showcasing their at-most quality produce (and poem) from all over Washington state. Most importantly they are sharing their passion.

About a month ago, my nose was detecting something splendid, it’s called coffee at the market. I approached them and started to talk about this coffee they were serving that day, “Ethiopian Wanago.”

It smelled just like strawberries! That means these beans make a cup of coffee that I would love. Lots of people tend not to like citrusy and fruity coffee but I do. I am in love with it. Their shop is called “Convoy Coffee,” they only offer pour over and aeropress. No lattes, no caramel macchiato, no damn pumpkin spice latte. Perfect.

When I woke up, I was feeling like I was a bear. I just wanted to hibernate but I forced myself to get out of the bed and I headed down to the market even thought it was (of course) raining and chilly. And these smiley people were making coffee by spreading their love and passion for coffee. He knows what kind of coffee that I like so he recommended “Guatemala Hanapu” roasted by Kuma (means bear in Japanese. Ha) Coffee in Seattle, WA. I ordered a cup of aeropress. The impressive acidity sits in the middle of tongue and spreads slowly. It was a quintessential combination of acidity, mild bitterness, kindness, tenderness and joy.

Thank you Convoy Coffee, you took my hibernation desire away. I will see you next Saturday.

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books

William Saroyan and Macaroon: and Chihuahua

January 15, 2015January 15, 2015by have you eaten?6 Comments

“Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough.”

Today is one of those days and I needed that. My head is not clear as it feels like I am underwater, not seeing or hearing anything. My body feels heavy and all I want to do is to go back to my warm, comfortable bed with my overweight 9-lb. chihuahua. It is January in Seattle (=gloomy) so maybe I am affected by weather. Who knows.

It sounds like this quote is written by someone who studies Buddhism but this is actually a quote by William Saroyan. I read “Papa You are Crazy” when I was in junior high and since then I always loved his stories. I found this wonderfully honest quote in my journal earlier today. This is exactly what I want to feel. With that, I am going to get some macaroon (for some reason I am craving for it) after work for dinner, hop on my bed and snuggle with my chihuahua. I will read William Saroyan, might as well.

I am sure I feel I am alive after macaroon, dog and Saroyan tonight. After that, I will really try to sleep when I sleep.

food

My kind of meditation: Nurturing my root

January 11, 2015January 11, 2015by have you eaten?1 Comment

Food takes time to prepare in general. Any kind of food really but I have to say Japanese food is one of those foods that takes lots of time to prep. If you want something quick and easy, you might want to be reconsider about becoming a Japanese cook. However, Japanese food is the one if you enjoy process, experience and of course, eating Japanese food.

I heard that most people are born with 4 taste palettes, sweetness, saltiness, bitterness and sourness. Asian people are usually born with one more, umami. What is umami anyway?

“Umami is an appetitive taste and is described as a savory or meaty taste. It can be tasted in cheese and soy sauce, and while also found in many other fermented and aged foods, this taste is also present in tomatoes, grains, and beans. A loanword from Japanese meaning “good flavor” or “good taste”,^[46] umami (旨味^?) is considered fundamental to many Eastern cuisines and was first described in 1908, although it was only recently recognized in the West as a basic taste. Some umami taste buds respond specifically to glutamate in the same way that “sweet” ones respond to sugar. Glutamate binds to a variant of G protein coupled glutamate receptors. (source-Wikipedia)”

This is “sumashi-jiru” (clear soup). Today, I made this soup with snow peas, lotus roots and scallops. This looks quite simple but this requires time, dedication, and love. This soup is packed with umami. I did not have to add gobs of condiments, I only added tiny bit of salt and just a splash of shoyu (soy sauce). It took about 90 minutes total to prepare this soup.

First, you simmer 3′ x 3′ kelp piece for 1 hour, then add handful shaved dried bonito (you can buy shaved bonito flakes at grocery stores, but I shave them myself) and bring to boil, leave it about 1 minute. Then you filter the stock to make it super clear, golden color tasty dashi. Then you put separately prepared snow peas and lotus root in to a bowl and pour this deliciousness over them. THIS soup is my main course for lunch today. Shaving bonito takes time, cooking dashi takes time but these “times” are my weekend rituals. Makes me feel proud and I am thankful that my mom taught me Japanese traditional way of cooking.

I look forward to every weekend because of this. This is my way of meditating through preparing meals, appreciating meals and being gracious for my Japanese roots. Sunday is always a great day.

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food

Flan and Simple Minds: perfect rainy day in Seattle

January 10, 2015January 10, 2015by have you eaten?Leave a Comment

I remember the smell of burnt sugar spreading throughout the whole house. For some reason, that always happened on rainy days in Tokyo. My mom made this simple, classic and non-flashy kind of flan when I was a little kid. It was not always consistent. Sometimes it was dense and sometimes it was kind of runny. It was not perfect, that is why I adore her flan even today.

It is raining in Seattle today (or 182 days of the year) and it is Saturday. Pandora is playing Simple Minds and rain keeps falling down, down and down so it is perfect day for making some imperfect flans.