The McDonald's here is open 24 hours, has three floors, and is decently cheap. It's a lifesaver for those late night, random cravings. But I decided I need to begin to eat real foods. Only, the only foods I can make are: Chicken Katsu, fried tofu, pickled veggies, musubi, and rice....Mainly because I just don't have any recipes! If any of you guys have recipes I can cook from the food that's so plentiful here, I would greatly appreciate if you'd send it my way! I don't know yet if they have any fruit here that's similar to the breadfruit that we have in Hawaii, but I've been craving that for a while now. But a recipe for
kabocha (I apologize for my spelling), I would LOVE. Oh! I would love how to make shoyuni too...along with egg fo yung (really...I know my spelling is awful ^_^), curry, oh! and the exact recipe for manju! I've lost mine somewhere (lol. I kept it in my head...6 cups flour/1 cup oil/1 cup ice water/ 2 sticks of butter/1tsp salt...but I don't remember the temp for the oven, or for how long...). SO many foods I'd love to eat ^_^hmmm...I'm starting to get hungry just thinking about those yummy foods.....maybe we need to start a recipe blog for family-style foods ^_^
6 comments:
What!? You're not testing out the local Taiwanese cuisine? They must have some really good food there. Anyway, when you do want to do some baking, here's the manju recipe:
Grandma Masako's Maui Okinawan Manju
6 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon (slightly less) of salt
2 blocks butter (1 cup)
1 cup Crisco Oil
1 cup ice water
1 tsp Crisco shortening (or use butter)
1 can Tsubushi An
1 egg beaten
Grease cookie sheets and spread flour on it.
Warm butter to room temperature. Add sifted flour and salt. Cut butter into flour if necessary. Add oil and mix. Add ice water and mix with hand lightly - do not over mix - use hand like a bread mixer with fingers apart and a motion like opening a glass jar cover - do not knead. You will know when the right consistency is reached when the dough holds together.
Using a Tablespoon, scoop about a golf ball sized dough and roll slightly. Roll out the dough over your entire palm with the center part thicker than the edges. Place about 1 tsp of An in the center and curl up the edges and pinch close. Form a perfect circle and place on the greased and floured pan. Each cookie sheet should hold about a 4 x 6 array of manju (24 per sheet). A smaller baking pan may be needed to pick up the extras.
Stamp the tops of each manju with a sewing spool to make a flower pattern. Beat the egg and brush on each manju.
Preheat oven to 425 and place baking sheets into the oven. Set timer for 17 minutes. After 17 minutes, check the bottom of a manju on the lower rack - it should be brown. If not brown, bake for 2 more minutes and check again. When the manju on the lower rack is brown on the bottom, switch racks with the upper rack and bake for another 2-5 minutes until the top is golden brown and remove. Place on cooling rack to cool.
This is my favorite Okinawan dish (they must have bittermellon on Taiwan, right?):
Goya Chanpuru
(Tofu to Nigauri no Itamemono) Tofu with Bittermelon.
Serves: 5
1 block tofu
1/4 lb pork (optional or chicken)
2 Tbsp. oil (or Coconut oil)
1 Tbsp. miso (optional to taste)
2 bittermelons (about 2 cups or more)
2 tsp. salt
1 cup pork stock
1 egg
Drain liquid from tofu. Wash and cut bittermelon in half and then lengthwise. Remove seeds and pulp and cut into slices of 1/8 inch. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 20 minutes. Wash and drain.
Optional: Boil pork (or chicken) about 30 minutes and keep the broth. Slice in 1/4" chunks. Save stock for adding later.
In hot pan, heat oil. Break drained tofu into bite sizes (1" chunks) into hot skillet. Sprinkle with half of salt and turn when golden brown. Add remaining salt to tofu. Brown tofu thoroughly.
Optional: Mix in miso to soup stock (pork or chicken), and add stock to tofu.
Bring stock to boil on High, and add bittermelon, lower heat to medium, and continue cooking with cover to steam (about 5 minutes). Add additional salt or shoyu if necessary. Finish by adding beaten egg. Do not overcook bittermelon to preserve crunchiness.
And here's Grandma's world famous Okinawan Shoyu Ni:
Shoyu Ni
3-4 pound pork belly, butt, or shoulder.
1. Boil pork, uncut, for 1 hour on medium boil. Check by pushing a chopstick through. (Optional) Throw into the water, one piece ginger and about 6 star anise.
2. Cut pork into bite size pieces, about 3/4" cubes.
3. Sauce is kept on medium heat.
1 cup Aloha shoyu (or watered down Kikkoman)
1/2 cup brown sugar (the smooth type or more of the Hawaiian type)
1/4 cup sake or mirin (mirin is non-alcoholic)
2 Tbs. grated ginger
3. Gently place pork into sauce and cover with sauce. Heat, covered, one notch below medium. When bubbles reach the top, or every 10 minutes, toss the pork to turn with cover on to avoid splashing. Cook for about 30-40 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes. Do not over cook or over toss, otherwise the fatty parts will get mushy. Cook until the pork is a dark color and the sauce is boiled down, but not burnt.
Hi Connie,
For my egg fu yung, I keep it really simple. Bean sprouts, grated carrots, and your favorite chopped veggies (brocoli, green onions, round onions) and your favorite meat, shrimp/left over meat/I love grated spam. Cover with enough beaten eggs to coat all of the veggies. I use Mrs. Dash for seasoning but salt and pepper will be fine. Fry in a pan coated with oil until golden, then turn. Serve over hot rice and soy sauce or the following:
EGG FU YUNG SAUCE
3/4 cup Chicken Stock
1 1/2 teaspoon Oyster Sauce
1/4 teaspoon Sugar
1 pinch White Pepper
1 teaspoon Cornstarch, mixed with
1 Tablespoon Water
3 drops Sesame Oil
For Kabocha, cut into squares (remove and discard seeds) and place in a greased pan, skin side down. Salt to taste and cook over low heat for about 3o minutes in a covered pan. Turn once. Cook for a few minutes until a fork or chopstick pokes easily into the kabocha. Eat alone with a little soy sauce or over hot rice. Ok to eat the skin. Enjoy.
Wow, Connie!! I am so glad you asked mom and dad for these! I'm going to have to copy and save all of these delicious recipes! Love you!
Connie,
I am envious of all of your experiences in Taiwan. I want to taste the food there and I wish I could join you in one of your kindergarden classes...they are so adorable.
Keep us updated...we look forward to the videos and insight to life in Taiwan.
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