caper berry: 2010.05

5.31.2010

HUNGRY EYES: simple comfort

soy sauce sunny side up over rice

simple vegetables

home, frankfurt, germany

5.30.2010

teriyaki chicken

all these bottled of single use pre-made sauces and dressing bothers me.

i could never finish them,

they just sit there and stares at me wondering when am i ever going to use them.

plus they take up too much precious kitchen counter and fridge.

even trying to keep it minimal i find myself with 8 types of vinegars.

i guess what i am trying to say is, make your own sauce and dressing!

it's a lot better since you can control the quality of ingredients.

teriyaki sauce is pretty easy to make.

why buy a bottle when you already have all the ingredients in the kitchen?

it is great with pork, beef, chicken and salmon.

great with salad and a bowl of steaming rice.

again, thx harumi for the wonderful japanese home cooking recipes!

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teriyaki chicken

serves 2

2 chicken boneless chicken breast or thigh with skin on

salt and pepper

1/2 TB sunflower oil

2 TB teriyaki sauce (see below)

mustard

lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper.

heat the oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat, brown both sides of the chicken.

cook until the chicken is cooked through.

add the teriyaki sauce and continue to cook until it has glazed and coat the chicken.

Remove the pan from the heat, slice and serve with mustard on the side.

pour any remaining sauce from the pan onto the chicken.

great with a crisp green salad and a bowl of rice.

teriyaki sauce

1 cup mirin

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 TB sugar

in a small pan, heat the mirin over low heat for 1 - 2 minutes.

then add soy sauce and sugar and simmer for another 1 - 2 minutes.

store the teriyaki sauce in a cleaned jar.

5.29.2010

SALAD du JOUR: strawberry bacon salad

freshly grounded course black pepper with strawberry drizzle with balsamic

with

fresh herbs and greens

top it all off

with sweet crunchy almond crisp and savory smoky bacon

a decadent strawberry season salad

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strawberry bacon salad

serves 4 as sides

+/- 300 g strawberries, washed and sliced*

+/- 120g of speck/ bacon chunks

4 TB sugar

1/3 cup of almond slivers, toasted

3 big handful of salad greens (mixtures), washed and dried

1/3 cup of basil leaves, picked, washed and dried

a small handful of mix herbs such as cilantro, flat leaf parsley (optional)

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced with mandolin slicer

3 TB balsamic

a small drizzle aged balsamico (optional)

3 TB extra virgin olive oil

lots and lots of freshly grounded black pepper

salt to taste

melt the sugar in a nonstick pan over medium low heat

once the sugar has melt add the almond slivers

coat the almond with sugar

careful not to burn the sugar

pour the mixture onto a piece of wax paper

make a thin layer

set aside and let cool

cut the bacon/ speck into chunks

pan fry the speck until crisp over medium heat

drain the oil using paper towel or paper egg crate

prepare the salad mixture, tear the salad into bit size pieces

toss together with basil and herbs

sprinkle the thinly sliced red onion over the mixture

then the strawberry slices

top with bacon

crumble the almond crisp over the salad

grind lots of black pepper over

add salt to taste

drizzle with balsamic and olive oil

to finish it off with a light drizzle of aged balsamico if using

enjoy!

*if the strawberry if not sweet as you expected, slice them ahead of time and toss with juice of 1/2 lemon and a big pinch of sugar. let it sit and marinade for 15 - 30 minutes before using.

5.28.2010

wood ear feast

wood ear mushroom (木耳) is great for lowering cholesterol

i just love them for the texture

here's an easy way to enjoy wood ear mushrooms

we call it wood ear feast because i don't really like the phrase stir fry...

this type of cooking is a typical chinese home cooking

ingredients are flexible

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wood ear feast

a handful of wood ear mushroom, soaked and washed, roughly chopped into large pieces

1 medium carrot, thick match-sticked

2 stalks celery, thick match-sticked

1/2 cup celery leaves roughly chopped

bamboo (about the same amount as the carrot, cut in the same size)

3 cm knob of ginger, peeled and julienned

2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

2 - 3 TB sunflower oil

2 TB soy sauce

2 TB black vinegar

1 TB xiaoxing rice wine

a large pinch sugar

salt and red chili flake to taste

a good drizzle of sesame oil

a large pinch toasted black sesame

set a frying pan over medium heat with oil

fry the ginger, garlic and a small pinch of dry red chili for a few seconds

add carrot and celery and stir fry for a minute or so

add bamboo and wood ear mushrooms

add soy sauce, vinegar, rice wine, 2 TB water, pinch of salt and sugar and

let it cook for a couple of minutes until the vegetables are done

drizzle sesame oil and toss in the pan for a few seconds and remove off the heat

plate and sprinkle chopped celery leaves and black sesame before serving

serve alone or accompany with other dishes with rice

5.27.2010

SALAD du JOUR: arugula salad

fresh arugula salad

reminds me of lil' frankie's pizza ny

can't get tired of it

simple and pure

arugula + lots of parmigiano shavings + lemon juice + aged balsamico + extra virgin olive oil

+ salt and fresh grounded black pepper

HUNGRY EYES: hot dog

clay weiner

i couldn't resist

here's some hot dog info from the book

a visual history of cookery

HOT DOG ETIQUETTE

everyday guidance for eating america's sacred food,

national hot dog and sausage council, american meat institute

DON'T... put hotdog toppings between the hot dog and the bun. always 'dress the dog", not the bun. condiments should be applied in the following order: wet condiments like mustard and chili are applied first, followed by chunky condiments like relish, onions and sauerkraut, follow by shredded cheese, followed by spices, like celery salt or pepper

DON'T... use a cloth napkin to wipe your mouth when eating a hot dog. paper is always preferable.

DO... eat hot dogs on buns with your hands. utensils should not touch hot dogs on buns.

DO... use paper plates to serve hot dogs. everyday dishes are acceptable; china is a no-no.

DON'T... take more than five bites to finish a hot dog. for foot-long wiener, even bites are acceptable.

DON'T... use ketchup on your hot dog after the age of 18. mustard, relish, onions, cheese and chili are acceptable.

DON'T... send a thank you note following a hot dog barbecue. it would not be in keeping with the unpretentious nature of hot dogs.

DON'T... bring wine to a hot dog barbecue. beer, soda, lemonade and iced tea are preferable.

DON'T... ever think there is a wrong time to serve hot dogs.