Naizo Nabe (Offal Hot Pot)

Naizo (offal) restaurants are popular. Different organ meats (everything from snout to tail) can be eaten rare, grilled, or even in hot pots. This hot pot is filled with vegetables, tofu, and innards. The trick with these hot pots is that the offal usually needs to be cooked a long time until tender. This was at a restaurant in Tokyo. We were disappointed as the innards were very tough. We prefer ordering "nikomi" which is usually simmers all day long and is tender by the time customers come in the evening. For innards, rare and grilled is preferred.

Buta Kimchi Nabe 豚キムチ鍋

A portable gas heater and nabe pot are not necessary to make hot pots. This pork, kimchi, and tofu hot pot was made on the stove and served up in bowls.

Recipe is below.

Recipe - Buta Kimuchi Nabe (Pork and Kimchi Hot Pot) 豚キムチ

When the wind gets cold we turn to nabe that packs heat. This Korean hot pot gets its heat from spicy kimchi. It is satisfying, warms the body, and is finished with steamed rice and eggs for a unique porridge.

1/2 pound thinly sliced pork

1 block soft tofu

2 Japanese leeks, sliced into bite-size pieces

2 cups Napa cabbage kimchi

3 Tablespoons kochujan

optional:

Napa cabbage

enoki mushrooms

1 cup steamed rice

2 eggs

In a hot pot add water, pork, tofu, leeks, kimchi, and kochujan. Bring to a boil and then simmer.

When you are done with the contents of the nabe, add steamed rice and eggs. Simmer over low heat with the lid on until the eggs start to set.

Recipe - Ponzu

2002 Iron Chef Kimio Nonaga shared this very simple recipe for ponzu with me a few years back and it never fails me.

1 part yuzu juice

1 part soy sauce

1 part mirin

and then adjust the seasonings to your liking

Ponzu is great for nabe (hot pots) as a dip for vegetables and fish, or meat. I also like it for tofu, salads, or for steamed vegetables.

Recipe - Pork Shabu Shabu 豚しゃぶしゃぶ

Some Japanese nabe cookbooks stress that simple is best and suggest limiting the number of ingredients to as few as possible. This simple pork shabu-shabu could not be easier with thin sliced pork, Japanese leeks, and hakusai (Napa cabbage). It is served with a momiji oroshi (spicy grated daikon) and ponzu. If there is leftover pork, you can blanch it in the hot broth and put it in the fridge, it is nice served cold over a salad.

1/2 pound thinly sliced pork

1/2 Napa cabbage (cut into bite size pieces)

3 Japanese leeks

6 cups kombu dashi

Bring the kombu dashi to heat. To the pot add a small bit of the vegetables. When the vegetables become tender quickly blanch the pork and then dip into the sauces.

Momiji oroshi recipe is listed below.

Recipe - Momiji Oroshi (Spicy Grated Daikon)

Momiji oroshi is simply grated daikon radish with dried chili pepper. It makes for a spicy dip for nabe (hot pots) and is easy to make.

Simply take a piece of fresh daikon and some dried chili peppers. With a cooking chopstick, make about five holes into the daikon, about the length of a chili pepper. Then go back to each hole inserting a chili pepper in with a chopstick as illustrated above. Then simply grate with a grater.

Momiji oroshi gets its colorful name from the maple leaves, that in the autumn turn a brilliant red color, represented by this color. Oroshi is for grated daikon radish.

This is nice with a pork shabu-shabu with vegetables.

Kue (Longtooth Grouper) Nabe (Hot Pot)

Kue (Longtooth Grouper) is an expensive Japanese fish that is in season in the winter. This nabe (hot pot) concluded a kue course meal which started off with sashimi of kue. As you can see in the top photo, the nabe included kue, tofu, shungiku (chrysanthemum leaves), leeks, and brown enoki mushrooms. After you are done eating the nabe, rice is added to the remaning flavorful broth and topped with scrambled eggs and chopped scallions for a rich porridge.

You can see how the portable gas burner is placed on the table, one for every two or three guests. No recipe in this posting, but you can get the basics of doing a seafood nabe.

Recipe - Ground Chicken and Vegetables

This very simple nabe (hot pot) is an easy way to get started for the novice. The key is to serve it with a ponzu sauce, a tart soy sauce. If you want, finish the nabe with some udon noodles in the remaining broth.

1/2 pound ground chicken
1 bunch enoki mushrooms
1/2 hakusai (Napa cabbage)
2 Japanese leeks (alternatively, 6 green onions)
8 fresh shiitake mushrooms
2 carrots

optional
kombu

ponzu sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup yuzu juice
1/2 cup mirin

optional
udon or ramen noodles

Season the ground chicken with salt and pepper. If you would like, add some chopped vegetables (leeks, shiitake) and shape into bite size balls. Cook up a small piece of the chicken mix in a saute pan to see if you like the flavor. Adjust as needed.

Cut the vegetables in bite size pieces. Cut the carrots into thin slices.

Make the ponzu sauce. Adjust seasonings as you like.

In a large nabe add cold water and a piece of kombu (optional). Bring to a simmer and remove the kombu. Add some ground chicken balls and vegetables and cook until done, as you eat the chicken and vegetables, continue to replenish.

When you are starting to get full, finish the contents of the nabe, leaving the broth, and bring to a rolling boil. Taste to see if it needs to be seasoned with more salt (or even some chicken stock) and add udon or ramen noodles.

Note: the kombu will bring more umami to the dish, but you will get a nice broth from the vegetables and chicken.

Tips on Cooking Nabe Hot Pots

With Thanksgiving lurking near I am pulling out bulky sweaters and my winter hats to keep me warm throughout the winter. In the kitchen we have pulled out our konro (portable gas heater) and nabe (hot pot). We are hosting our first nabe party of the season tomorrow and have started shopping for vegetables, kimchi, tofu, and thin sliced pork for a kimchi chige nabe.

Entertaining with nabe could not be any easier, and clean-up is a snap. Here is an article I wrote for Metropolis magazine on tips on cooking nabe at home - and it includes a recipe for a very simple mizutaki, chicken and vegetables nabe, perfect with a ponzu dipping sauce.

http://archive.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/560/localflavors.asp

Mattcha Oatmeal Cookies

My dear chef friend, Carolyn Wang-Yong in Singapore recently made mattcha oatmeal cookies and loved it. I will post photos when she sends them, but for now the recipe is below:

Mattcha Oatmeal Cookies

2 1/2 sticks of butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup mattcha
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

3 cups quick oats

Combine butter sugar eggs. Separately combine all the flour, mattcha, salt, baking soda, then add it to the butter mixture. Then work in the oats. Using Saran wrap, roll the dough into cylindrical logs. Keep them in the freezer until whenever you want to have some fresh baked cookies! Cut them into thin round disks. Bake for 10-12 min at 350F. I usually prefer baking them on a Silpat.

I think for the color, I would probably recommend replacing the 3/4 brown sugar with 1/2 cup sugar instead. So skip the brown sugar, and use 1 cup sugar for the green tea recipe. I also added a cup of cashew nuts.

Recipe - Chikuwa and Okra ちくわオクラ

In Japan there is a great TV morning program called Hanamaru Market. I often find great ideas for adding variety to Shinji's bento. This very simple recipe is to stuff chikuwa (grilled fish cakes) with vegetables, such as blanched okra or julienned carrots. It is a nice contrast of flavors and textures. In the bento above it is the white round fish cake stuffed with okra.

2 pieces of okra
1 piece of chikuwa

Quickly blanch the okra and stuff into a piece of chikuwa. Slice in half at a diagonal.

Seafood Recipe - Maguro Zukedon まぐろ漬け丼

Being married to a fishmonger has its benefits. Top among them is that I can turn the kitchen over to him when it comes to preparing fish dishes. Naturally, when we have fresh fish, in Japan that means sashimi quality, we often eat sashimi, or a crudo style preparation, lightly marinating in olive oil and yuzu or lemon juice and seasoning with salt and pepper.

As a professional fishmonger, Shinji can expertly tell if a fish can be eaten rare or should be cooked or prepared. Tuna that should no longer be eaten rare, but is still good enough that it doesn't have to be cooked, is often turned into zuke. Shinji makes a simple marinade of soy sauce, sake, and mirin and marinates the fish overnight. This often becomes our breakfast for the next day, as in the picture above, garnished with some tamagoyaki. Be sure to taste the marinade before you put in the tuna. If you prefer a sweeter marinade add some more mirin.

Magurozukedon

sashimi quality tuna (ideally akami, the meaty part)
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon mirin
1 Tablespoon sake

garnish with sesame seeds, shiso leaves, and wasabi

Seafood Recipe - Katsuo Tataki かつおたたき

Katsuo (bonito) is a meaty fish. Famous for its funky aroma, which is best toned down on the plate with some thinly sliced myoga and grated ginger. Katsuo is in season twice a year, in the spring it is lean and in the autumn it is rich with fat, and is called modorigatsuo. "Returning katsuo" refers to the fish returning after being out at the cool waters of the sea, hence layered with rich layers of fat.

Tataki in Japanese refers to two culinary techniques. One is to chop roughly a raw product, such as tuna or wagyu. The second, as represented in this dish, is to sear the outside of the meat, leaving the inside rare. This is also done with tuna, beef, and even chicken.

This is a quick and easy recipe that is perfect this time of year as the modorigatsuo start to appear in the market.

katsuo tataki
2 myoga, thinly sliced
1 ginger piece, grated
soy sauce

Slice the katsuo tataki into thick slices and layer on a plate. Garnish with myoga and ginger and serve with soy sauce.

Recipe - Banbanji Chicken バンバンジーレシピ

Shinji, my husband, is a great cook. One of his favorite dishes to make is banbanji chicken. We simmer chicken until tender, slice it up, or shred with your fingers, and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, or even steamed cabbage, and dress with the finger-licking good banbanji sauce. This sauce is addictive and is also good over thinly sliced pork that is quickly cooked in hot water. When cooking the chicken, if you add some sake to the salted water it will help tenderize the chicken.

Banbanji Sauce

2 Tablespoons nerigoma (toasted sesame paste, do not used tahini, use peanut butter instead)
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon rayu (spicy sesame oil)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. It will keep in the fridge for several days, just stir before serving.

Recipe - Kabocha Simmered with Azuki Beans かぼちゃのいとこ煮

Another simple and delicious recipe with kabocha squash is Kabocha Itokoni, simmered kabocha with azuki beans. The beans add an earthiness to the dish and the kabocha provides the sweetness. In this bento the simmered kabocha with azuki beans are in the far right.

1/2 kabocha squash
100 grams azuki beans, dried
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce

Rinse the azuki beans and put into a pot with 7 1/2 cups of cold water. Simmer over low heat until tender, about 30 - 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the kabocha into bite-size pieces. It is a nice touch to trim off the rough parts of the skin and to cut off the hard edges of the kabocha.

In a pot, combine 4 cups of the azuki water, soft azuki beans, kabocha, and sugar in a pot and cook until the kabocha is tender. Turn off the heat and remove from the stove. Add the soy sauce at this point. If you add it too early you will lose the aroma of the soy sauce.

When serving drain from the liquid.

Will keep in the fridge for several days.

Azuki Bean

Recipe - Simmered Kabocha かぼちゃうま煮

See recipe below.

Recipe - Simmered Kabocha かぼちゃうま煮

In the autumn as squash are in season a staple in our home is simmered kabocha squash. This tasty dish is perfect for bento box lunches or for rounding out any meal as a side dish.

As in the traditional Japanese kitchen, very little goes to waste. Note how even the scraps from cutting the kabocha are reserved.

Kabocha Umani
1/2 kabocha squash
3 1/2 cups dashi
1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup mirin
5 Tablespoons sugar

Remove the seeds from the kabocha. Cut the kabocha into bite size pieces. Trim bits of the green skin, but reserve parts of it for color. Discard seeds and skin shavings.

While the following technique is not required, it is a nice touch. With a small paring knife, round off the edges of the skin and keep the trimmings.

In a pot layer the kabocha squash on the bottom. Top with the broth and simmer with a drop-lid until tender. If you have reserved the trimmings, cook those in a smaller pot using part of the prepared broth. Simmer until tender.

This dish will hold for several days.

Recipe - Sesame Dressed Green Beans いんげん胡麻和え

I am finally getting into a routine of making Shinji's bento boxes here in NYC. It is not as easy as in Japan. The first challenge is the lack of good seafood for grilling, marinating, and for topping the rice. The other major challenge is the lack of variety of vegetables. But, where there is a will there is a way. And, bottom line, is Shinji prefers to eat food we make here at home for lunch and we both agree that it is a healthier option to eating out every day.

What definitely makes it easy is to have a bento box that I can fill with four or five side dishes on one layer. The second layer is filled with rice, often simply steamed, but sometimes steamed with seafood or vegetables.

This side dish, steamed green beans dressed with a simple sesame dressing is a staple in Shinji's bento. It could not be any easier. The dressing can be used for any steamed greens including broccoli, spinach and other vegetables like carrots.

In a mortar and pestle I crush toasted sesame seeds (white or black), add a bit of sugar and some soy sauce (both to taste) and then toss in the steamed vegetables.

Below is a base recipe, but as any good cook in the kitchen, you should taste it and adjust according to your tastes.

1/4 cup steamed vegetables (green beans, broccoli, spinach, etc.)
1 ounce (or 30 grams) of toasted sesame seeds (white or black)
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar

Matcha Green Tea Sweets in Japan 抹茶スウィーツ

Matcha is a popular ingredient for sweets in Japan. It can be used for cakes, chocolates, ice creams, and much, much more.



Matcha can also be used for soft jellies, babaloas, or custards.



Rolled cakes are very popular in Japan. One popular flavor is matcha cake rolled with whipped cream that is studded with sweet black beans.



Making matcha ice cream at home is easy. Japanese Iron Chef, Kimio Nonaga of Nihonbashi Yukari, has a great tip for making this. Take some vanilla ice cream, put it in the refrigerator, then let it soften and then carefully fold in the matcha powder. He also does this with kinako (roasted soy bean powder). If you like, you can put the ice cream back into the freezer, and as it starts to freeze, carefully fold in some sweetened black beans.



Haagen-Dazs has a great version of matcha ice cream available in single portion sizes. These are available at supermarkets or at convenience stores.



Matcha, powdered Japanese green tea, is used in many sweets. In Japan there are many different types of matcha available. I usually purchase an easy to use instant versions. Some are already pre-mixed with sugar and can be mixed up with milk to make a sweet, matcha au lait. This drink is refreshing on a hot summer day.



Please note that all images on this post have been taken from Japanese blogs.

Sunomono of Persimmons and Daikon - Recipe

In this bento box from last fall is a flavorful sunomono (vinegared dish) of daikon and persimmons. Great for this time of the year, and a snap to put together.

1/2 daikon
2 persimmons
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar (or mirin)
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2/3 cup dashi

Mix in a saucepan the sugar, rice vinegar, and dashi and bring to heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Peel and julienne the daikon, sprinkle with salt and set aside to sweat. Peel and remove the seeds from the persimmons. Julienne and set aside.

Squeeze the daikon of excess water and combine with persimmons in vinegar dressings. Marinate overnight. Will keep for several days.

Note: Sanbaizu dressing comes from Tsuji's Japanese Cooking, A Simple Art cookbook. This is a great cookbook and hands down the only cookbook I carry as I move around the world.

Fall for Kaki (Persimmons)

This time of the fall, just as the cool winds of winter picks up, is the best time in Japan for kaki (persimmons). This photo is one of our meals from last fall - including some quartered persimmons. Sweet, crunchy, and only available for a few weeks each autumn, they are treasured.