Sushi February 23, 2009

Sushi is by far one of my favorite things to eat. I absolutely love it. It’s fresh, good for you, delicious, and the presentation is gorgeous. But up until a couple years ago, I wanted nothing to do with it. Raw fish? Come on, not in my mouth. As luck would have it, a good friend of mine had her birthday party at a local sushi restaurant called SanSu. I felt it would be rude to turn down the invitation, so I reluctantly went. She suggested we split a bottle of Sake. She said it would make trying this strange food a little easier to handle. Warm, pear flavored wine that you take shots of. Sounds weird, but it couldn’t hurt. She was right. A bottle of Sake and one beer later,  and the moment of truth was staring me dead in the face. Our food had arrived, and I was scared. There seemed to be a million different kinds of raw and cooked fish just waiting to be devoured. I had no clue what any of it was, so I started with the easy stuff. My first choice was the California roll. It consists of crab, cucumber, avocado, and cream cheese, all wrapped in rice. I couldn’t believe how good it was! I tried everything on the platter from raw salmon to spicy tuna. By the end of the dinner, I had narrowed down my favorite. Grilled eel. Who would have guessed it?

My mom gave me a book with information about different kinds of sushi, how to make it, etc., along with a sushi kit for Christmas. I have yet to attempt to make it at home, but I have learned quite a bit. Here are some of the basics:

1. There are four main kinds of sushi: norimaki (rice rolled in seaweed with ingredients in the center), bo-zushi  (rice pressed in a mold with cured or salted fish), nigiri (fingers of rice with a slice of fish, seafood, or omelet on top), and chirashi (bowls of rice with other ingredients mixed through or arranged on top).
2. Ginger is used for flavor, and also as a palette cleanser.
3. Instead of rice or seaweed, you can use lettuce wraps when making sushi.
4. Uramaki is an “inside out” roll, with nori (seaweed) inside and rice outside.
5. Japanese stores offer children’s sushi. They use sugar and food coloring to create heart, flower, and other various shaped pieces.
6. The best selling item at all Japanese airports is masu-zushi, or smoked fish sushi. They can be made the day before and will keep for up to 36 hours.
7. If you are having trouble rolling sushi, use an egg cup. Line it with plastic wrap, a piece of smoked salmon, and rice in the middle. Turn it upside down and remove the plastic for uniform looking pieces.
8. Sushi can be placed inside tofu bags, or in an omelet parcel, known as fukusa-zushi.
9. Sushi is vinegared rice, sashimi is the actual raw fish. Many people confuse the two.
10. Mix wasabi paste and soy sauce together to dull down the spiciness.

On that note, I just heard my buzzer. No, it’s not sushi. Although I did have sushi delivered once. Not something I would ever do again. Time for some Los Gringos.

Thank God I didn’t Burn the Place Down February 23, 2009

I had every intention of commencing my Go Veg Pledge this week. I really did. However, my crooked leg and accompanying limp prevented me from making the trip to the grocery store to purchase veggies and phony meat. I have to say, I was not terribly disappointed. Hopefully this week will be different. As for this week, I experimented with three new recipes. Two were dynamite, one was immediately thrown in the trash.

I had lunch at my mom’s house recently and completely fell in love with the chicken stew and biscuits she made. I have had a weakness for good old home cooked comfort food since I was a little girl. I asked her how she made it and after further inquiry, I discovered it was a recipe she learned from my father’s mother over 20 years ago. Thank you Grandma! All in all, it was easy as pie (why do I keep saying that?!) However, from prep time to the time it landed on my plate was about 2 hours. Not so great. At this stage in the game that’s fine. I wasn’t busy that night. However, down the road, I anticipate that being able to spend two hours in the kitchen after a long day at work, with a hungry family, nearly impossible. The process consisted of cooking water (or chicken broth if you have it on hand), three boneless, skinless chicken breasts, celery, and 2 bay leaves on low heat for an hour. Then, remove the chicken from the water and shred it, add diced carrots, potatoes, onions (or onion powder), garlic, basil, oregano, and a can of cream of chicken soup, and cook for an additional 45 minutes. Lastly, add 3-4 Tbs. of cornstarch to cold water, stir vigorously, and add the mixture to your stew to thicken it. If you can keep busy in between, by all means, go ahead. However, if you’re pressed for time, before you cook the chicken into little pieces before , and your cooking time will be reduced by half. Make sure to pick up a package of Pillsbury Butter Tastin’ biscuits to serve on the side. Flaky, buttery, goodness.

Next up, cinnamon streusel muffins with a cinnamon, sugar, and margarine crumb topping. Store bought of course, but I added the oil, eggs, and milk, so give me a break. After putting the batter in the cupcake pans, I set the timer for 16 minutes and returned to my room to finish up some homework while they rose. Nine minutes later, the blaring smoke alarm almost made my heart jump out of my chest. What the hell was going on?

I diffused the alarm with a dirty T-shirt that was lying on the floor, entered the kitchen, opened the oven, and quickly slammed it shut after a wave of smoke came rushing out, sending a gray gas throughout my entire apartment. No struesels for me this evening. They looked like they had been pulled out of a bonfire. I was particularly confused because not only was the smoke coming from the oven, but also from the back right burner. The stove was not turned on, so why was the burner hot? Strange. Once Adam returned, I informed him of the catastrophe and told him to call maintenance first thing in the morning. Apparently that was not the answer. He could fix it. Fine, just don’t break the oven while doing so was my only request.

The next day Adam’s cousin came over and together, they dissected and solved the situation. As it turns outs, it was my fault. You can imagine my embarrassment. Earlier in the week I needed a 3-hole-punch so I borrowed one from my mom, brought it home, and pulled it out of a bag which happened to be on top of the stove. Hundreds of small paper circles burst out like flames from the bottom and fell into the burners. I thought I had gotten most of them out. I was wrong. The oven was not broken. The paper left inside set on fire when the oven was turned on. Just my luck.

Let’s fast forward to today. I made salmon for the first time. I was amazed at how easy it was. Honestly. I bought two salmon fillets (on sale at Kroger for just $6!), and decided to prepare them the best way I knew how. Cook them Red Cedar style. For those of you that don’t know, Red Cedar Grill is the restaurant where I work. Adding S&P, lemon juice, and olive oil to the fillets and cooking them at 450 degrees for 15 minutes was the easy part. I made one with a sweet honey bourbon glaze and one with a grainy mustard sauce. Here’s how I made the sauce. I grabbed two ramikens at work that day, asked the wonderful chefs to fill them with the sauces, threw lids on them, and tossed them in the same bag that contained the sweet potatoes I was going to serve as a side dish. Yes, the sweet potatoes were made there as well. This meal was going to mirror Sandra Lee’s “Semi-Homemade” style of cooking. I asked Adam if he wanted four cheese rice or garlic cheddar mashed potatoes, both from a box. Poor guy. He chose the rice.

Bring water to a boil, then add the rice, right? Wrong. I was supposed to saute the rice in butter until it browns, then add water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for twenty minutes. Word to the wise, always read directions. I boiled water and butter and was less than pleased when I realized I had to start over. I pulled the salmon out of the oven for a few minutes so it wouldn’t overcook while I fixed my mistake. I mixed cinnamon and brown sugar in with the sweet potatoes, opened a can of green beans (my favorite), and added butter, salt, and pepper, and tossed those bad boys in the microwave. After my not-so-instance rice was prepared, I added the questionable “cheese” powder, and hoped for the best.

It was like a little taste of heaven in my mouth. I was impressed, as was Adam. All I can say is after a meal like that, I was glad that I had not started my vegan diet.

My Go Veg Pledge February 17, 2009

“I’d rather go naked than fur”.

This is the slogan of PETA’s campaign featuring supermodels, who pose nude in order to express their opposition to consumers buying clothing made from fur. Over the last 29 years, PETA has become notorious for its extreme marketing tactics, controversial campaigns, undercover investigations, and racy ads. They lobby aggressively against farmers, designers, fast food chains, clothing stores, and other various organizations.  From the “Holocaust on your Plate” exhibit to the West Minister Dog Show protest, where members dressed in Ku Klux Klan uniforms and handed out  brochures that read “The KKK and AFC: BFF?”,  this group has raised eyebrows everywhere. Mine in particular.

A couple weeks back my political science professor handed out our semester projects. Which interest group was I assigned? PETA. Figures. So over the last couple weeks I have researched everything from the goals of the organization and the people involved, to most importantly, the countless approaches they’ve taken to express their extreme positions. In my opinion, throwing dead raccoons on a stage during a fashion show and sending packages filled with maggots to the editors  of Vogue, hardly seems effective. In fact, it seems downright crazy. Out of fairness, I will agree that some of their methods are beneficial. During the month of January, PETA created the 30 day Go Veg pledge. For every person that pledged to give up meat for 30 days, PETA made a donation to The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, an organization that plants trees in impoverished villages where people go hungry every day.

I have always been under the impression that vegetarians get their protein through chickpeas, lentils, and Lima beans. One word, YUCK. After looking at different vegetarian and vegan websites, I was surprised to discover that there is a large variety of meat-free food that  actually sounds quite tasty. With options like “meat-free” chicken nuggets, turkey, or salmon, I do not anticipate much of a challenge. They even have eggless eggs! I don’t have the faintest idea what these eggs are actually made of, but it can’t hurt to give them a try! Whether these products taste as good as they sound is another story. So this begins my veggie blog, with one exception. I would not give up cheese even if my life depended on it.

Of course I wanted to make one last “meaty” dinner before I took the pledge. (Okay I’ll be honest, I haven’t actually started yet, but as soon as I talk myself into making a lengthy trip to the grocery store, I will begin my mission). Valentine’s day was the perfect opportunity to create my magnificent feast. That morning my boyfriend announced that he wanted to make me a special dinner as part of my Valentine’s gift. Riiiiiiight. Don’t get me wrong, he cooks breakfast better than anyone I know, but aside from our impromptu Bobby Flay style “Throwdown”, where we competed to see which one of us could make better homemade mac and cheese, I haven’t seen him cook a thing. The throwdown created a competitive culinary dilemma: who would choose which one was better when the only two people present in our apartment were the biased chefs themselves? Guess we hadn’t thought that far ahead.

Back to Adam suggesting that he would prepare dinner. Being the loving girlfriend that I am, I smiled and said, “that sounds wonderful honey.”  I knew it was time to check the food network, and fast. On the air was Robin Miller’s “Quick Fix Meals”, a show that explains how you can take one item, such as fish or poultry, and create three very different meals throughout your busy week to save you time. On this particular episode she made grilled chicken with brie cheese along with a baby spinach salad. My stomach immediately started to rumble. I ran the idea by Adam, and after assuring him there would be no onions involved in the cooking process, the same conversation we have every time I make anything, he agreed that it sounded delicious. Little does he know I have a secret stash of onion powder in the pantry. Ha!

So after a quick trip to the grocery store, I went to work. I seasoned the chicken, pulled out the Foreman, and grilled each side for about 4 minutes. Then I placed 1/2 inch slices of brie on each chicken breast for a minute or two to melt the cheese. The spinach salad was similar to a wilted lettuce salad that I’ve made numerous times in the past. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil and four slices of bacon to a skillet on medium heat. Once the bacon is cooked, dice it up, and put it back into the pan. Next add sugar and vinegar. A variation would be to use honey instead of sugar. I do not measure when I cook, so the amount of sugar and vinegar to add simply depends on how much sauce wish to create. Toss half of the sauce in with the baby spinach and place it on a platter as a base for your chicken. I know what you must be thinking. Warm bacon grease dressing? Sounds weird and is incredibly unhealthy, however this would be the last time I cooked with meat for a while so the calories were the least of my concerns. To finish the dish, place the chicken on top of the spinach, and drizzle the remainder of the sauce over the entire plate and you’re done! Simple and amazing.  

Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to let Adam make me a PB&J another time.

Ouch! February 9, 2009

After my ski accident, I realized how easy it is to take simple tasks for granted. For example, I never felt like I was fortunate to be able to put my own shoes and socks on. Why would I? I learned that over 20 years ago. That was until my fall. I spent the majority of last week not being able to walk, dress my feet, climb stairs, and even experienced difficulty sitting down. You can understand my frustration every time I had to use the bathroom when it was agonizing just to sit on the toilet!

You’re probably wondering where I’m going with this. My blog is about cooking but last week I could hardly move. I definitely was not going to cook. I don’t think I even made a sandwich. On the positive side, I did discover a fabulous Mexican restaurant with free delivery. Bonus.  

Saturday night was my first attempt, and it was only because I was so bored being cooped up in my apartment that I had to do something to entertain myself. Seriously guys, I was sitting in my kitchen filling the salt and pepper, and checking the rest of my spice rack for expiration dates to get rid of the old ones. Immediately after I finished this, I had myself a good laugh about what my Saturday night had been reduced to. Checking expiration dates for fun. Ha! I knew it was time to cook.

The night before I forced myself to walk down three flights of stairs, bare the cold, and once again experience people staring at me like I was from another planet because I am on crutches. I twisted my knee, I didn’t shave my head for Pete’s sake! But it was my boyfriend’s birthday so I wanted to do it. He had been so great about taking care of me, running my errands, doing my laundry, etc., etc., etc., so I wanted to do something nice for him. We went to a Tapas restaurant in downtown Lansing and he got an angel hair caprese pasta and loved it! I knew it would not be difficult to recreate, and when he came home that night he was thrilled.

I was right, easy as pie (if anyone knows where that expression originated I would be delighted to know. I have never been able to figure out what it is about pie that screams easy). Anyway, I heated Alfredo sauce (store bought of course) in a skillet and added minced garlic, onion powder, pepper, basil, and lots of pesto. The pesto was definitely the star of the show. You boil your favorite kind of pasta, Adam’s is angel hair, and mix the sauce in. I also cut up tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and more basil for color, and tossed it all in with the pasta. Next, I mixed butter and garlic together. Then, I sliced focaccia bread, brushed the garlic butter over it, and baked it at 400 degrees. Perfect Italian dinner! That reminds me, if you do not have a paintbrush in your kitchen, get one. They’re cheap and come in handy for basting, brushing olive oil on anything, spreading garlic, you name it.

Okay, so it wasn’t that exciting of a week. I promise this week I will be back in the swing of things. If anyone has any recipe ideas let me know, or tell me your favorite meal and I’ll try to put my own spin on it.