my kind of comfort food

I love mushrooms. LOVE. And my favorite kind is probably shiitake mushrooms. They have so much depth of flavor, and are so versitile. And though I always grew up eating them in only Japanese dishes, I love how they work in other genres.

There's a guy I go to every week at our local farmers market who grows shiitakes in tree trunks that he's predrilled. He leaves one tree trunk out for display, and the very last customer of the day gets the ones he picks from the display trunk--the freshest mushrooms of the day. It's beautiful and fascinating. And he sells out every Saturday by 10 am. So the mornings I'm running late, I've been pretty close to not getting what I want. But one time I got lucky and got a 1/2 lb from his display.

I've used these mushrooms for all sorts of dishes, but I think my favorite is to show off their earthy flavor in a creamy mushroom pasta. This sauce goes well with long or short pastas, but for some reason I think rigatoni works best.

It's so easy to alter this recipe. Sometimes I add baby spinach right at the end so it barely wilts, sometimes I add fresh basil, but my favorite sprinkle of green comes from the grassy, bright flavor of minced flat leaf parsley. But experiment and decide for yourself what you like.


pâtes à la crème et aux champignons
or "pasta with cream and mushrooms" (just wanted to sound fancy with the French)

1/2 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, scrubbed clean, stems removed, and caps sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4~1/2 cup combination of parmiggiano reggiano and gruyere cheeses, grated
1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb pasta

1. In a large saute pan, melt 1/2 tablespoon of the butter. Add enough mushrooms to just cover the bottom of the pan without overlapping. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and brown the mushrooms. Toss to saute both sides of the mushrooms and set aside. Repeat with remaining butter and mushrooms.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and cook pasta to al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. 
3. Once the mushrooms are cooked, add all of them back to pan. Add cream and cheeses, and stir gently until cheese is completely melted. 
4. Add pasta and parsley and toss to coat. Add pasta water a little bit at a time to loosen the sauce if necessary. Serve immediately.

from MY garden

I can't believe it. I have a real garden. I have plants that are growing and I'm literally eating the fruits of my labors. I made salsa with home grown tomatoes for dinner tonight! And the other day we had norimaki with my own home grown mizuna (a leafy green, part of the mustard family, used often in Japan). I LOVE SUMMER! And even if I complain a lot about the humidity here, if it means even I can grow a garden, I think I can appreciate it:)

japanese series part 3

Ah, the farmer's market. I love walking around with my family and being inspired by what's available each week. Most weeks I buy some shiitake mushrooms and eggplant first, and then wander. And when it comes to eggplant, I'm generally drawn to Japanese eggplant. But this week I was inspired by this beautiful variety of baby eggplant.

With such beautiful, delicate little eggplant, I wanted to showcase their texture and flavor by keeping it simple. My favorite way to eat eggplant is with a simple ginger and soy sauce dressing. Because this recipe only has 3 ingredients, it's really important to start with quality ingredients. Avoid soy sauce with added ingredients like sugar, and don't use dried ginger. Ginger is a lot easier to grate if it's frozen, and because it spoils quickly, I keep mine in the freezer all the time. And if you can find Japanese eggplant, do a little happy dance and buy it. You'll probably have to go to an Asian market to find it, unless you have an impressively stocked grocery store. Your typical globe eggplant is a little too bitter for this recipe.

When it comes to cooking it through, there really aren't any short cuts. A properly cooked eggplant is buttery and rich, an undercooked eggplant is spongy and bitter. Don't be impatient. Trust me, I've made this mistake;)

fresh ginger eggplant
serves 4 as a side dish

8~12 small eggplant
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon good quality soy sauce
neutral tasting oil for frying

1. Clean eggplant, cut off the tops, and cut each eggplant in half lengthwise. In a small bowl, combine the ginger and soy sauce.
2. Heave a large skillet, grill pan, or on a grill, to medium heat. Brush the cut side of the eggplant with the oil. Arrange the eggplant, cut side down, in a single layer on the skillet. If it doesn't fit, do it in batches. Cover, and let it cook through. The skin will wrinkle a little and the flesh will be tender all the way through.
3. Place the eggplant cut side up on a serving platter, and drizzle the soy sauce/ginger mixture over the top and serve.

secret ingredient

I started college during Summer term back in 2002, about a week after I graduated from high school. That very first semester in college, I had a roommate from Mexico. She was one of the kindest, most sincerely generous people I've ever met. There were 6 of us girls in the same apartment, and she was basically our mommy. And she showed her love through food. That was one thing I loved about her. Not only because I got to eat that delicious food, but because she really put so much of herself into it. She had such a passion for the food and for the people she was serving it to. And whenever people talk about love being the secret ingredient in good food, I think of Alejandra. She did just that.

She inspired my obsession with cilantro, admittedly and ingredient I had never used before I met her. I'd eaten it, but definitely had never purchased it. And now, I can't live without it. I grow it in my garden, and still have to buy more at the store by mid-Summer. And thanks to her, I can make a mean salsa. Still somehow not as good as when she made it, but it's still pretty darn good. And I always have to credit her.

I've made a few alterations since, and let me tell you why. It's not out of disrespect, I promise. They are by no means improvements, just alterations. That's the beauty of this recipe. It's SO versatile. She always made it with avocados, but they can very easily be omitted for a simple fresh salsa. My sister once added fresh sautéed corn and black beans, and it was AMAZING.

 But then, several years after I lost touch with Alejandra, the choir I was a part of got to travel to San Antonio, Texas. The heart of Tex Mex. I know, I know, I shouldn't mix the two. Alejandra made Mexican food, Tex Mex is it's own beautiful thing. And mixing Asian food is so not my thing, so I realize I'm being a complete hypocrite. But when you learn what I learned, I think you'll forgive me. My friend who is a total foodie and also a member of my choir went to a restaurant that I missed out on. He said their salsa was just like mine, but added the juice of 1/4 of an orange to it also. I was so curious that I had to try it. And there was no turning back. That tiny bit of sweet acidity added to the lime is a miracle!

And so, out of respect for Alejandra, there is no substitute for her secret ingredient, but I found one that made me feel a little closer to the perfect flavor she got out of her ingredients.

basic secret ingredient salsa

juice of 1~2 limes, depending on acidity and juiciness of the limes
juice of 1/4 navel orange, again depending on the juiciness of that particular orange
2 lbs sweet, quality tomatoes, diced (this time I used a combination of red and yellow cherry tomatoes)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped very fine
1/2 vidalia onion, diced small (or for color I'll use a red onion. But make sure you chop it ahead and soak it in cold water, replacing the water 2~3 times, for at least 30 minutes, to remove that pungent raw onion flavor)
kosher salt to taste

1. combine all ingredients into bowl. Season with salt to taste.

variation additions:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups fresh sauteed corn
2~3 large hass avocadoes, diced

plain and simple

My mom often says, "simple is best." And as a teenager, I remember being a little annoyed with her mantras that she would enthusiastically repeat, but this one I agree with.

And though when it comes to my kitchen equipment addiction I may not be the poster child of simplicity, when it comes to the cooking itself, I try to emulate this idea. I really believe in appreciating the flavors of each ingredient. I had a new friend over for dinner tonight, and she paid me the highest compliment I've ever received--or desired to receive. She took a bite and said she's never eaten spaghetti and meatballs with so much flavor. Now, I promise you I don't have the best spaghetti and meatballs recipe out there. No way I can out-cook a real Italian grandma. Not even close. But she got exactly what my passion for food is all about. Flavor. REAL flavor. And it was really exciting to have someone get my food philosophy in one bite.

So I was inspired to share with you my absolute favorite way to cook asparagus. It makes the asparagus taste like ... asparagus! No hiding or altering or adding. I want to highlight that grassy, earthy, almost bitter but somehow sweet, complex flavor that only asparagus has. And I think the best way to do that is by roasting it. And the ingredient list is short. Asparagus, good quality olive oil, salt and pepper. And if you've never tried it, it'll change your life.

Roasted Asparagus

2 1/2 lbs fresh asparagus
2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Hold one spear of asparagus by the end and about the middle and bend it until it snaps. Cut all spears about the length that it naturally broke at. Peel the bottom inch or so.
3. Place the trimmed and peeled asparagus spears on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until tips are crisp and stalks are browned. Serve warm.

makes me so happy

The farmer's market here in Bloomington, IN is in full bloom now, and I might be the happiest person. I look forward to Saturday mornings. I always go to the same guy in the back corner that sells the best shiitake mushrooms I've ever tasted (outside of Japan, of course;)), and then as a family we paruse the beautiful colors and smells and buy what inspires us. My kids always ask for some peaches, and how can I deny them? This week, I bought these gorgeous string beans, purple and green.

I've made hoisin string beans, and plain old blanched beans with garlic butter. My 2 favorite ways to eat them.

My own garden is actually growing this year, too! I have heirloom beefsteak tomatoes that are till green, but getting bigger and more asymmetrical everyday, and I can't wait to make some big, fat sandwiches with on some crusty bread with plenty of Japanese mayo. And tonight, I used my own home grown rosemary, parsely, and basil in spaghetti and meatballs.

I love Summer. All of this produce is so inspiring! What's your favorite fresh vegetable or fruit to eat and cook with in the Summer?

japanese series part 2

As promised, I'm writing about Japanese food again. And since I started with the basic dashi, we're going to make the dish I use dashi for the most, miso shiru--or miso soup. There are so many ways you can alter this soup, but the basic of the basic miso soup has 5 ingredients: dashi, miso, scallions, wakame, and tofu.

Don't let the exotic ingredient list scare you too much. Dashi you know how to make, miso is easy to find in the refrigerated section of any Asian market, and tofu you can find at any grocery store these days. Though I do prefer the silken tofu (House is my favorite brand you can buy in the US) you find at Asian markets to the kind you can buy at grocery stores. And I'm not saying that to be snobby. It really is just my personal preference. But when I'm too lazy to make my own tofu or to head to the Asian market, medium or firm tofu at the grocery store works great.

miso

Miso is a prepared soy bean paste. It's earthy and salty, and when diluted in dashi, makes ... heaven. It's rich and light at the same time. I don't know how else to explain it. It comes in a variety of styles, but the most common are red and white. And you can buy them mixed together, which I find more versitile. But it's personal preference so get whichever you like and fits into your budget and palate.

Miso wasn't a flavor I was fond of as a kid. I know, you're thinking I'm so not Japanese, right? I've learned to love it as an adult, and I rarely go a week without it. It's my favorite.

wakame

Wakame is a specific type of seaweed. It's sold dried, sometimes in long strands and sometimes cut. I prefer the cut kind. I just reconstitute it right in the serving bowl. It happens really fast, so it's just easier for me that way. If you let it sit too long in liquid it can get slimy, which is probably what most people who don't like it have experieneced. When newly reconstituted, it's slippery but not slimy, and tastes like the ocean. A clean ocean. Not a stinky, fishy-smelling one.

This might be the hardest ingredient for you to find. It's with all of the other seaweeds, and you might just have to ask for help or go to an online source. If seaweed isn't your thing (though eventually I think you should give it a shot), substitute baby spinach.

miso soup
serves 4

1/4 block of tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 teaspoons dried, cut wakame
2 scallions, sliced very thin
6 cups dashi
1.5 tablespoons red or white miso (or a combination of both)

1. In a small sauce pan, heat the dashi. Add the miso, and stir in to combine until completely dissolved. Add the tofu just to heat it through.
2. In the small serving bowls, equally distribute the wakame. Pour the hot miso broth over the wakame, and equally distribute the tofu. Garnish with the scallion. Serve hot along side rice.