Umeshu
On vacation down in San Jose Japantown I saw ume (Japanese plums) for sale for $4.99/ lb. In Seattle they are $11.99 and all browned and bruised. I decided to get a couple of pounds and some kori sato (lit. "ice sugar") to whip up a batch of ume shu. The smart people at Nijiya had printed out the recipe rigth next to the ume.
Ume shu:
- 2.25 lbs of ume
- 2 lbs rock sugar
- 7.5 cups (1.75 ltr) shochu or other neutral alcohol*
Wash ume and remove the stems using a bamboo skewer.
Dry ume thoroughly.
Place ume in large glass jar.
Pour rock sugar over plums.**
Pour Shochu over plums/sugar.
Store in cool, dark place for at least three months. Best after one year.
* - I can't remember how I stumbled across it, but some time back I read about filtering cheap vodka with a brita filter. Since there's so much sugar in the umeshu you can't really taste the alcohol anyway so as long as you start with a pretty neutral spirit you're good. Six filterings through the brita turned my cheap, $20 bottle of vodka into a decent enough "white liquor."
** - it's important that the sugar goes over the plums. Plums float in alcohol. I've learned this the hard way.
Of course, the hardest part is waiting.
Dinner: Lima Bean and Porcini Soup
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/dining/251srex.html
Made this for dinner last night. Yum Yum. And it was a big hit with the mrs. and little one too. I opted for the lamb neck bones because that is what the wife bought at the grocery store. Having been Vietnamese in a past life I used a fair amount of fish sauce to add flavor and threw in some blanched collard greens at the end for some greenery. Definitely going to make this one again. I don't know if it's the lima beans or the barley, but the soup was very creamy and hearty. I would like to try it with beef shanks too to see the taste difference.
Made this for dinner last night. Yum Yum. And it was a big hit with the mrs. and little one too. I opted for the lamb neck bones because that is what the wife bought at the grocery store. Having been Vietnamese in a past life I used a fair amount of fish sauce to add flavor and threw in some blanched collard greens at the end for some greenery. Definitely going to make this one again. I don't know if it's the lima beans or the barley, but the soup was very creamy and hearty. I would like to try it with beef shanks too to see the taste difference.
Big feet mean ...
Lately, H has taken to carrying my boots around. I have no idea why it's the boots versus any of the other shoes I have but he seems particularly drawn to this pair. He also likes putting his feet into the boots and even sometimes trying to walk with them. It's all very comical. We moved him to the dining room to get a clear picture of him. Here he is. Destined for the NBA?
Behold my beautiful Loin
Ever since I watched the "Tender is the Loin 1" episode of Good Eats I've been wanting to try my hand at a tenderloin. With our friends Tracy and Matt coming over for dinner I had the excuse to go get my Pismo and go to work.
7 lbs of beefy goodness
Out of the bag
Sans 2 lbs of fat and silver skin
7 steaks, Chain and little roast.
7 lbs of beefy goodness
Out of the bag
Sans 2 lbs of fat and silver skin
7 steaks, Chain and little roast.
Dinner: 12Aug08 Split Pea Chicken
This meal is a couple of mistakes piled upon each other. It began with the Chicken. We have come to love the Foster Farms chickens that come in the plastic wrap 6-pack. They are vacuum packed so we just throw them into the freezer and pull out as many as necessary as needed. Each pack has about 3 thighs (although we occasionally get only 2), which is a good portion for us. Anyway, the last time I was at our favorite warehouse membership store I looked into the coffin cooler, saw the word "Thighs" and grabbed a package. It was only last night as I pulled out two packages that I noticed that these were "Boneless, Skinless" thighs, and not the usual bone-in, skin-on that we usually like. Mistake number 1. The second mistake was that the previous night when I started thinking about what to make for dinner, the missus pulled a bag of split peas out of the pantry and suggested I use them. I'm pretty sure she said Split-peas, but for some reason I googled "Chicken Lentil." After some searching I came upon a recipe that sounded pretty good. All the recipes kept on talking about red lentils or brown lentils, but never mentioned green lentils. Undaunted, I carried on.
The recipe didn't call for bacon, but what recipe isn't better with Bacon? So I started with two rashers (I love that word) of bacon, chopped. Once the bacon browned and released its fat, I fished them out and browned half the chicken, about 4 minutes each side. I fished out the first batch and then browned the second.
After the chicken was done, I browned one large onion, chopped thin and then two small carrots, also chopped thin. When they were nice and soft, I threw in 2 cloves of minced garlic and stirred for about 30 seconds before adding one can of chicken broth and about 1 cup of the split peas that I had been soaking in warm water. I brought that to a boil and then simmered for about 25 minutes.
I then added the chicken, bacon and accumulated juices, along with some Cumin, Basil and a can of diced tomatoes. I wanted this to thicken a bit so I simmered, uncovered for about a half an hour. Season with Salt and Pepper and voila. The result was a chicken stew of sorts. I served with some slices of crusty bread and mashed potatoes. This would probably be better on a cold winters night but wasn't bad for a summer dinner.
Goodbye old Friend
When we came home from Japan I found that my rubber band ball of nearly 10 years had succumbed to the evils of Ultraviolet radiation. As you can see, many of the outer rubber bands disintegrated, leaving a real mess on top of my desk. Unlike some who start with a tennis ball, that was pure rubber band through and through. Sadly the ball has moved on to the rubber band ball heaven, wherever that is. We will miss you.
Watermelon anyone?
On our last day in Japan we made a quick trip out for some last-minutes shopping. On our way down one of myriad of subway corridors we came across this watermelon. For a mere 420,000 yen (approx. $400) you could have this beaut. Now I like watermelon, but for $400, this better be the best damn watermelon I ever (and will ever) taste.
Future Indicator?
Hopefully this is no indication of my son's future. Here he is practicing his up-against-the-wall stance, ready for the frisking. Maybe it is fitting because already I'm thinking his middle name is T-R-O-U-B-L-E. H is pulling himself up to, and pushing against, everything these days. His favorites right now are the Fridge and the door pictured here.
8 months
Where has the time gone? Yesterday was H's 8 month birthday. Only 8 months and already he has 3 strollers and a backpack carrier. How many modes of transportation does this guy need? It's been an amazing 8 months. I wouldn't trade them for anything. Every time I pick him up and look at him I just can't believe he's going to grow up to become a walking, talking sentient being.
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