The Zen of Wasabi
Have you ever smothered in tears when you just realize you've got too much wasabi in your sashimi? Yes, I know you have. But why do we insist to put this creamy green thing on our food?
The one thing that is misunderstood from wasabi is how most people describe the taste. I disagree with the word “hot” or “spicy” that most people used. I would say “pungent” or “strong” will be more appropriate. Unlike chili peppers, the sensation of burning is not on the tongue, but on the sinus cavity (see: Wikipedia) which does not create a lingering heat on the tongue but creates vapor that would induce tears and sharp poke to the nose. (Which I still wonder why the Japanese wasn’t investigated for developing and exporting such biological weapon to the whole world…)
However, that’s exactly the problem, isn’t it? Once you accidentally taken too much of wasabi into your mouth and voila, a cool sharp bomb exploded in your mouth and you started crying as if your supermodel girlfriend just dumped you.
Have you ever wonder how then people enjoy wasabi that is so pungent? I believe it’s because we’re ashamed to shed tears in front of others. You see, shedding tears as an expression of enjoyment is rather embarrassing compared to sweating profusely when eating chili or spicy food. Did anyone care if you’re sweating because of eating chili or super triple spicy tom yam? No! Because it’s just normal! But once you’re crying because of wasabi, (it feels like) people looking at you and think how sissy you are to cry over a little bit of wasabi.
So, let us change the situation. The point of adding wasabi is to prevent microbiological growth in raw fish. But not only that, It’ll give extra kick and balance to the sushi or sashimi eaten. Therefore, it’s normal to add some wasabi to your sushi and by rights, it would be logical for everybody to enjoy the wasabi-smothered morsels in their own way.
In conclusion, you have the right to enjoy your food, including the ones with wasabi or any other strong flavour. So, if someday you did put too much wasabi on your sushi and you feels like blowing your tears, don’t hold it. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, let the tears streaming from your eyes. Visualize the salmon, the rice, the soya sauce and the wasabi flavours blending in your mouth. Or just as Sinatra said: “In other word…:” Enjoy.
Itadakimasu!
Cons
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Friday, October 13, 2006
The Most Amazing Kitchen Equipment
If somebody should ask you "What is the most amazing kitchen equipment?" What would you say? Is it the stove? The electric oven? The griller? The deep fryer?
Well for me, the most amazing kitchen equipment will be the rice cooker. Maybe because I'm asian but if you don't understand why, let me give you one important question. What can you do with rice cooker?
If you can say nothing but "rice cooker is to cook rice", go on, read further.
You're absolutely correct. Rice cooker is to cook rice. But what rice? Plain Rice? there's one. Throw in half a slab of butter and some cream style corn, you'll have a buttercorn rice. There's two. Throw in sliced shiitake mushroom, kuri (japanese chestnut), sesame oil and spices, You'll get very fragrant mushroom rice. There goes three. Mix the two combination and throw in butter, mushroom and added with crushed garlic. You'll have garlic butter rice. There's 4. And many many more combinations to follow. you capisce? Hainanese Chicken Rice, Thai Pineapple steamed rice, Paella, risotto, briyani, sushi... The almighty rice cooker will do it for you.
Is that all? Of course not. You can throw the rice cooker to disarm the robbers, plant your begonias and orchids in the cooking pot and it does make a good motorcycle helmet. I just don't know whether it's legal...
But other than those (un)attractive use of rice cooker, you (we) can make steamboat (shabu-shabu) with it. Just put it on top of table, put boiling broth and start dipping your steamboat. And it only cost you 300-500W instead of normal electric steamboat that consume 850-1500W.
Anymore? Ah, I see the young fellow there raise his hand. You're a what? A dim some? Ah, I do hope the rest of you is brighter to realize that you can use the rice cooker as a dim sum steamer.
And of course. It can be used as a steamboat, it can also be use as a soup warmer. Fancy those cauldron-shaped soup warmer in the restaurant? Here you got a modern looking soup warmer that looked like rice cooker and able to cook rice too!
Yeah, plenty eh? Not mentioning it's portability and throwability (in case of robbers) we got so many use of rice cooker. Trust me, I can write a lot more about this.
Respect your rice cooker... and peace.
Cons
Well for me, the most amazing kitchen equipment will be the rice cooker. Maybe because I'm asian but if you don't understand why, let me give you one important question. What can you do with rice cooker?
If you can say nothing but "rice cooker is to cook rice", go on, read further.
You're absolutely correct. Rice cooker is to cook rice. But what rice? Plain Rice? there's one. Throw in half a slab of butter and some cream style corn, you'll have a buttercorn rice. There's two. Throw in sliced shiitake mushroom, kuri (japanese chestnut), sesame oil and spices, You'll get very fragrant mushroom rice. There goes three. Mix the two combination and throw in butter, mushroom and added with crushed garlic. You'll have garlic butter rice. There's 4. And many many more combinations to follow. you capisce? Hainanese Chicken Rice, Thai Pineapple steamed rice, Paella, risotto, briyani, sushi... The almighty rice cooker will do it for you.
Is that all? Of course not. You can throw the rice cooker to disarm the robbers, plant your begonias and orchids in the cooking pot and it does make a good motorcycle helmet. I just don't know whether it's legal...
But other than those (un)attractive use of rice cooker, you (we) can make steamboat (shabu-shabu) with it. Just put it on top of table, put boiling broth and start dipping your steamboat. And it only cost you 300-500W instead of normal electric steamboat that consume 850-1500W.
Anymore? Ah, I see the young fellow there raise his hand. You're a what? A dim some? Ah, I do hope the rest of you is brighter to realize that you can use the rice cooker as a dim sum steamer.
And of course. It can be used as a steamboat, it can also be use as a soup warmer. Fancy those cauldron-shaped soup warmer in the restaurant? Here you got a modern looking soup warmer that looked like rice cooker and able to cook rice too!
Yeah, plenty eh? Not mentioning it's portability and throwability (in case of robbers) we got so many use of rice cooker. Trust me, I can write a lot more about this.
Respect your rice cooker... and peace.
Cons
Thursday, October 12, 2006
nutella cheese sandwich (s2)
mmm. This is one of my favorite sweet sandwich. It actually has 1 for simplicity but since toasted version is better, so i'd put the toasted one here.
This thing is so simple that I don't need to put proper recipe format here.
Get two slices of white bread. put a slice of cheddar cheese on top of one. put them both in toaster oven and toast for 90 second (on preheated oven.) or to your taste. Get them out of the oven, spread chilled nutella on top of the other one (The thicker the better) and smack them both as sandwich. Yummiez!
Note: The chilled nutella between two hot toasted bread will give an extraordinary sensation. Remember. This item is for immediate consumption only.
This thing is so simple that I don't need to put proper recipe format here.
Get two slices of white bread. put a slice of cheddar cheese on top of one. put them both in toaster oven and toast for 90 second (on preheated oven.) or to your taste. Get them out of the oven, spread chilled nutella on top of the other one (The thicker the better) and smack them both as sandwich. Yummiez!
Note: The chilled nutella between two hot toasted bread will give an extraordinary sensation. Remember. This item is for immediate consumption only.
How come you can cook?
My friends asked me a lot of these questions. "how did you learn to cook?" or "How can you find recipe like that?" and many other similar things. Those questions are normally answered by another question from me "how couldn't you?" which eternally replied with so many things that can be classified as "Excuses". "I've no time"(You mean, you're engaged 24/7?) , "I don't know where to start" (there's a part in the house named 'kitchen'), "I'm a man, why should I learn to cook?"(Tell me one female chef and I'll tell you 5 male chef. whoever loses first buy me pizza), "My mum didn't allow me."(well mine either, My mum's kitchen is hers), "I'm too old to learn." (I started this cooking stuffs from 22 yrs old while there are 26 y.o. won his 2nd michelin star) and so on.
So, where do we start. I'd suggest you start it by cooking something really simple. Instant noodle, perhaps? or sandwich? And yeah, you're suppose to do it in the room that was named... what was the name again, ... kitchen?
If you think cooking instant noodle is easy, guess again... If you believe white bread with margarine and sugar makes good sandwich, you need some brainwashing. But in the other hand, if you believe that nice food should be expensive, again... you're wrong. Never measure Deliciousness with price.
So I'll start by posting my own recipes and ideas. All my recipe will be rated 1-10 for simplicity (10 being most complicated while 1 most probably can be done blindfolded) 1-5 stars for taste. There will be some contributions from you, of course, which, if feasible, will be done in my kitchen. Give us some pictures please.
So, where do we start. I'd suggest you start it by cooking something really simple. Instant noodle, perhaps? or sandwich? And yeah, you're suppose to do it in the room that was named... what was the name again, ... kitchen?
If you think cooking instant noodle is easy, guess again... If you believe white bread with margarine and sugar makes good sandwich, you need some brainwashing. But in the other hand, if you believe that nice food should be expensive, again... you're wrong. Never measure Deliciousness with price.
So I'll start by posting my own recipes and ideas. All my recipe will be rated 1-10 for simplicity (10 being most complicated while 1 most probably can be done blindfolded) 1-5 stars for taste. There will be some contributions from you, of course, which, if feasible, will be done in my kitchen. Give us some pictures please.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Creative Recipe
As part of my creative thinking exercise, I oblige myself to think one item, every week. A food item that totally revolutionary, which nobody ever thought of (or at least, I never heard of).
The food item need not be feasible nor even taste good. All I need to think is just something. And if I do hit a jackpot, (which is idea that is very close to realization) I'll develop a new and revolutionary recipe around it.
So if you wish to practice the same thing, you're welcome. My past food items is varied but mostly Japanese influenced as i worked in a Japanese restaurant. I'll post my new items every week between monday to wednesday (depends on how fast I can create)
My past items are most forgotten but the most recent one are:
1. Tempura durian, served with vanilla Ice cream
2. Cold miso soup
This week item is "Tempeh Miso"
(tempeh is a soya bean cake from Indonesia and Miso is fermented soya bean paste from Japan)
The food item need not be feasible nor even taste good. All I need to think is just something. And if I do hit a jackpot, (which is idea that is very close to realization) I'll develop a new and revolutionary recipe around it.
So if you wish to practice the same thing, you're welcome. My past food items is varied but mostly Japanese influenced as i worked in a Japanese restaurant. I'll post my new items every week between monday to wednesday (depends on how fast I can create)
My past items are most forgotten but the most recent one are:
1. Tempura durian, served with vanilla Ice cream
2. Cold miso soup
This week item is "Tempeh Miso"
(tempeh is a soya bean cake from Indonesia and Miso is fermented soya bean paste from Japan)
Monday, October 09, 2006
Dining: The ten Commandments
Why do I need to post this stupid posting? Because there are people out there who just don't realize how annoying they are when they are dining in a restaurant. Do I really need to tell everybody what to do and what not to do in a restaurant? Heaven knows but let me give some tip on it. Hey, you might never realize that what you always did is annoying.
When you follow all the rules below and keep your smile all the time, I assure you of a great experience during your meal. Cross the line, and you can almost hear them whispering profanities everytime the next time you step in. Wanna bet?
1. When the sign says: "please wait to be seated", please wait to be seated. Don't rush in like hooligans. Even part of your group is inside, you still should wait for the waiting staff to serve you.
2. The Management has right to seat you everywhere they like. Oh please, there are just 3 of you. Do you really need that six-seaters with sofa seat near the window?
3. Whatever on the table has their own purpose. Don't abuse it please. The candle is for atmosphere. Not to grill your undercooked steak. The chopsticks (for asian dining) is not for making walrus impression and you're not suppose to do fencing with toothpicks! (En Garde!)
4. Only call the waiting staff when you're ready to order or when you really need to ask questions about the food. And if the waiting staff approaches you and ask "Are you ready to order?"... Trust me, they won't scowl of you say "not yet". It's Extremely Annoying when you call a waiting staff and after rushing to your table, you just say " aaaaa.... ummmm...." and hold them for 15 minutes only for you. (Man, you're not the only customer) And when they repeat order, listen! Don't wait until the food come and realized you've ordered the wrong thing. And when they ask "is that all?" Please... please don't say yes until you're very very very sure.
5. Ask for Recommendation. They know best. Just ask! In short, make the ordering process as fast as possible, close the book and pass the menu. NEVER use the menu as your food placemat.
6. Don't alter the menu or even create your own unless it's allowed in the menu. When you change the fries to baked potato and don't want to pay extra, better go and bake your own tater! And no, we can't serve half or quarter of a baked potato in exchange of the fries.
7. Ask for things at once, will you? how would you feel when someone ask you for a glass of water and when you come, he only ask for another one, thrice consecutively? Those people should be relieved that murder is illegal.
8. When you're dining in peak period, do realized there are people who queue waiting for your seat. Man, do you really need to sit and chat while there are parents with 3 hungry kids waiting outside standing for half-an-hour... ? Have a heart, dude.
9. Never! Ever! dine beyond closing hour. Last order normally is half an hour from closing time. If the restaurants closing, eat your stuffs quickly and get outta there. they need to go home, Man! That is wack!
10. When the waiting staffs are keep coming back to you and ask "Would you like some desserts?" do please translate it as "Will you get you ass out of here and let the poor mother with 3 crying babies outside sit and enjoy their meal?" And the correct answer will be. "No, thanks. Can I have my check please?" Other than that, you'll be considered an antisosial criminal and world-class jerk and will be blacklisted from all the restaurant in the regions.
When you follow all the rules below and keep your smile all the time, I assure you of a great experience during your meal. Cross the line, and you can almost hear them whispering profanities everytime the next time you step in. Wanna bet?
1. When the sign says: "please wait to be seated", please wait to be seated. Don't rush in like hooligans. Even part of your group is inside, you still should wait for the waiting staff to serve you.
2. The Management has right to seat you everywhere they like. Oh please, there are just 3 of you. Do you really need that six-seaters with sofa seat near the window?
3. Whatever on the table has their own purpose. Don't abuse it please. The candle is for atmosphere. Not to grill your undercooked steak. The chopsticks (for asian dining) is not for making walrus impression and you're not suppose to do fencing with toothpicks! (En Garde!)
4. Only call the waiting staff when you're ready to order or when you really need to ask questions about the food. And if the waiting staff approaches you and ask "Are you ready to order?"... Trust me, they won't scowl of you say "not yet". It's Extremely Annoying when you call a waiting staff and after rushing to your table, you just say " aaaaa.... ummmm...." and hold them for 15 minutes only for you. (Man, you're not the only customer) And when they repeat order, listen! Don't wait until the food come and realized you've ordered the wrong thing. And when they ask "is that all?" Please... please don't say yes until you're very very very sure.
5. Ask for Recommendation. They know best. Just ask! In short, make the ordering process as fast as possible, close the book and pass the menu. NEVER use the menu as your food placemat.
6. Don't alter the menu or even create your own unless it's allowed in the menu. When you change the fries to baked potato and don't want to pay extra, better go and bake your own tater! And no, we can't serve half or quarter of a baked potato in exchange of the fries.
7. Ask for things at once, will you? how would you feel when someone ask you for a glass of water and when you come, he only ask for another one, thrice consecutively? Those people should be relieved that murder is illegal.
8. When you're dining in peak period, do realized there are people who queue waiting for your seat. Man, do you really need to sit and chat while there are parents with 3 hungry kids waiting outside standing for half-an-hour... ? Have a heart, dude.
9. Never! Ever! dine beyond closing hour. Last order normally is half an hour from closing time. If the restaurants closing, eat your stuffs quickly and get outta there. they need to go home, Man! That is wack!
10. When the waiting staffs are keep coming back to you and ask "Would you like some desserts?" do please translate it as "Will you get you ass out of here and let the poor mother with 3 crying babies outside sit and enjoy their meal?" And the correct answer will be. "No, thanks. Can I have my check please?" Other than that, you'll be considered an antisosial criminal and world-class jerk and will be blacklisted from all the restaurant in the regions.
Le Conseiller - First Post in history
Ola everybody!
I create this blog to pen the journal of my life. I live in Singapore, a small country in South-Eastern Asia and will pen my journal on life, love and food.
Nothing much to read. Just for me when I was boring and let me look back into my past life. and maybe how I could give a little tip here and there.
Domo Arigato
Cons
I create this blog to pen the journal of my life. I live in Singapore, a small country in South-Eastern Asia and will pen my journal on life, love and food.
Nothing much to read. Just for me when I was boring and let me look back into my past life. and maybe how I could give a little tip here and there.
Domo Arigato
Cons
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