02.23.2010 Eat the Duck and Mouse

© Tessa Lykins Photography

Itadakimasu. Japanese blessing before eating, their version of bon appetit. Or, how my friend Shannon's dad remembers it, "eat the duck and mouse".

A few weeks ago, Patrick and I were lucky enough to experience some true Japanese cuisine. Tomomi, a friend of ours, brought a few of her friends and some amazing food over to share. We had:

Nabe: Basically is a bunch of vegetables, turkey meatballs, tofu, and fish all cooked in a pot over flame. One pot meal shared by many. There are a few ways to make it; with dashi powder, soy sauce, or miso. Patrick and I tried making it again last week and tried using a wok instead of the traditional nabe pot. It turned out fine, and aparently you can even use a normal saucepan as well.

Sushi: Sushi rice topped with fish, seaweed and a multitude of other things. Americans hear "sushi" and automatically think of those picture-perfect, bite-sized tidbits...not always the case with sushi.

Tako yaki: Cooper, Tomomi's boyfriend, bought a tako yaki maker in Japan when he visited and wanted to attempt this cute little dish. Tako yaki literally translates to baked/friend octopus. Because in Montana octopus is ridiculously expensive, Cooper decided to use dried shrimp instead. I have no idea what went into the dough for tako yaki (green onions, ginger and few other random ingredients are my guess), but the process was fun to watch. The tako yaki maker/grill has a bunch of half circle molds that you pour the dough into. Then, as it heats, you take chopsticks and roll it into little balls. This is assuming everything goes right. The combination of a sticky dough, first time making it on his own, and a foreign appliance used in an American kitchen caused somewhat of a dilema and we became creative in how we finished cooking it (on the stove in a pan - Tomomi saved the Tako yaki!). Maybe next time Cooper :)

We ate, and ate, and ate...and managed to eat more. I don't know how these little Japanese girls do it, but they stuff it in! Naomi made us a green tea cake, constructed of crepes piled on more crepes filled with green tea creme. Lots of eating, lots of talking and learning about Japan. To our Japanese friends (and the American ones as well) -Dōmo arigatō!

Resources:

Omori, A., (2008). Bridging the gap between chopstick usage and manners. The Daily Yomiuri, 528. Retrieved on January 12, 2009, from the LexisNexis Academic database.

Japanese Phrases, http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/japanese_language/japanese_phrase_basic.htm

02.17.2010 ValenThai Day

Traditionally, on Valentine's Day, Patrick and I go for Greek take-out gyros. This all started our first year together three years ago when we were both drop dead broke, but he still wanted to take me out. We did that for two years and this year have decided that we would rather go back to our first date cuisine and dependable favorite, Thai food. Our first date spot, Smiler's, shut down a few months after we met and Bozeman has not had a Thai place since. BUT just recently Lemongrass Thai opened up, and thus our ValenThai date.

Lemongrass Thai was freaking amazing. Real Thai food; they do not change spice or ingredients because that would ultimately change the authenticity of the dish. The menu had a history and explanation on the back, and here is what I learned:

• Thai do not eat with chopsticks, that's a Chinese gig. Traditionally Thai food is eaten with the hands, but more recently a spoon and fork is used.
  
• Thai food is generally served family style with rice.
• Jasmine rice is indigenous to Thailand.
  

My favorite dishes:

• Kaeng phanaeng: From central Thailand. An Indian influenced coconut-peanut curry with beef (Kaeng phanaeng nuea), chicken, pork or seafood. I like it best on rice with beef.
• Cha yen: Thai iced tea. It is made from strongly-brewed black tea. The tea is sweetened with sugar and condensed milk and served chilled.
• Khao niao mamuang: Sticky rice cooked in sweetened thick coconut milk, served with slices of ripe mango.

Resources:

Lemongrass Thai menu, 290 W. Kagy Stc. C, Bozeman, MT, 59715

Bhumichitr, Vatcharin. The Essential Thai Cookbook, 192 pages, New York: Clarkson N. Potter Inc., 1994

02.17.2010 Strawberries

©Tessa Lykins Photography

Last week I went to Rosauer's to buy supplies for my weekly tea and scones. Every Thursday I make a different type of scone and invite friends to come over for an hour to drink tea, chat and enjoy my baking. Last week it was Valentine's Scones - Strawberry Chocolate Scones. I did some research on strawberries, a favorite fruit since childhood and very available this time of year because of the romantic holiday. Here is what I learned:

• Strawberries are from the rose family and are the only berry to have seeds on the outside.
• Luscious, crimson, and heart shaped are words used to describe this sweet fruit.
• Egyptian myth says that if you eat 300 strawberries in an hour you'll turn into a cat.
• Split a strawberry in two and share it with someone of the opposite sex and you'll be sure to fall in love.
• Black pepper accentuates the flavor of strawberry sauces or dressings.
  

I remember being invited as a kid to go to the local strawberry patch for a day of picking with my best childhood friend, Lindsey. I'm pretty sure we didn't pick many and I have no idea where those strawberries went after that day. I do remember waiting in the car while Lindsey's mom Candi paid and listening to Jimmy Buffet. There's a story in there somewhere about Jimmy Buffet's profanity and childhood astonishment, but that's not so relevant.

Resources:

Big Oven, "Big Oven". Lakefront Software. 02.12.2010 .

Conde Nast Digital, "Bon Apetit". 02.12.2010 .

SKCreations, Inc., Strawberries.com. 02.17.2010 .

WHFoods, "Strawberries". WHFoods. 02.17.2010 .

02.11.2010 Diving In

I enjoy food. I am not a connoisseur or a chef. Food is intriguing and my endless curiosity teaches me new recipes, combinations of flavors, and for as long as I can remember, has nurtured relationships with my family and friends. According to the Encarta dictionary, Foodie (n): Somebody who enjoys good food: An enthusiast of cooking, eating, or shopping for good food ( informal ).
And so the blog begins.

Resources:Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2009 Microsoft Corporation. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?lextype=3&search=foodie