Bullet 56: Japanese Cooking Adventure! ORZ
For some reason, the title of this post resembles the name of a 'Reborn!' episode, hence the random 'bullet'. XDDD
Anyway, two weeks ago, I ventured into the world of Japanese cooking. Again, this bit is from two weeks ago:
"Haha, so I'm writing this after having spent the past two hours making manjuu! I've always wanted to try my hand at making them, especially after hearing about Saiunkoku Monogatari's Shuurei's apparently wonderful, life-altering manjuu episode after episode. Isn't it strange how sweet, steamed dough balls could be so central to the plot of a show? :D The fact that I spent the entire day supervising kids at a cooking camp didn't help either, since I then had the cooking bug, but I think I'm crazy for wanting to wash even one more dish. XD
Anyway, I had always hesitated to make manjuu, since I've never had any anko (sweet azuki red bean paste) on hand, and I haven't had a chance to get to the Asian market recently. However, I read up on some recipes, and it turns out that azuki can be substituted (though never completely replaced--there's something special about its texture and sweetness) with a thick fruit jam or preserve or a nut paste. I won't bore you with the gory details (unless of course you'd like to know), since I generally followed this recipe: [link] I made some modifications with the steaming process, and, of course, I used cherry and pineapple preserves, respectively, with a few chopped walnuts thrown in.
I did manage to royally screw up the first batch by adding too much water to the dough. I learned that one the hard way (only use 2/3 cup water!). The second batch turned out fine, though if you're using something as wet as preserves, you're better off only adding 1/4-1/2 a spoonful to each manjuu. They won't fold/roll properly if there's too much moisture.
Haha, here's a picture of one of the best ones: [link] It's not perfect by any means, but I'm rather satisfied for a first try. At any rate, I'm told by a reliable source that they tasted good. :D
Alright, I apologize for the rambling. Signing off now~~"
About a week later, a friend and I made a second batch of manjuu, substituting crushed fresh blueberries and blackberry jam as the filling. The technique of rolling and stretching the dough gets easier with each repetition. :D
So this past weekend, we ventured to the Asian market again to acquire a long list ingredients necessary for my preparation of a full Japanese meal tonight. The menu was as follows:
Edamame (soy bean) salad, with fresh basil from our garden (yay!): closetcooking.blogspot.com/2008/02/edamame-salad.html
Oyakodon: japanesefood.about.com/od/ricebowl/r/oyakodon.htm
and Mitarashi dango: hungerhunger.blogspot.com/2007/09/mitarashi-dango.html
I'll post our pictures once I get a chance to hook up the camera. ^^
Everything was relatively well-received, including the edamame, though we all found the amount of rice (a little over a cup cooked per person) extremely filling (hah, and I thought I was used to it, after eating Japanese curry/sushi/etc. . .まだまだだね～ ^A^). I've gathered that donburi are rather intended as comfort foods, so the fact that they really fill you up only makes sense. :D
And though everybody seemed to enjoy the dango, there was a bit of skepticism over the soy sauce/mirin/dashi-based sauce and its use on a supposed 'dessert'. I explained that dango are more commonly classed as convenient festival snacks, and that Japanese desserts often lack the overt sweetness of desserts served in America. The dango didn't taste quite like I expected, but I love them, and they were a ton of fun to make! I think we'll try dorayaki next, seeing as I have anko paste now.
Ah, as another note, I should be uploading a new SaiMono drama translation (the one in which Ryuuki-tachi head to the lake after having been to the onsen) within the next day or so. That's all for now!
Anyway, two weeks ago, I ventured into the world of Japanese cooking. Again, this bit is from two weeks ago:
"Haha, so I'm writing this after having spent the past two hours making manjuu! I've always wanted to try my hand at making them, especially after hearing about Saiunkoku Monogatari's Shuurei's apparently wonderful, life-altering manjuu episode after episode. Isn't it strange how sweet, steamed dough balls could be so central to the plot of a show? :D The fact that I spent the entire day supervising kids at a cooking camp didn't help either, since I then had the cooking bug, but I think I'm crazy for wanting to wash even one more dish. XD
Anyway, I had always hesitated to make manjuu, since I've never had any anko (sweet azuki red bean paste) on hand, and I haven't had a chance to get to the Asian market recently. However, I read up on some recipes, and it turns out that azuki can be substituted (though never completely replaced--there's something special about its texture and sweetness) with a thick fruit jam or preserve or a nut paste. I won't bore you with the gory details (unless of course you'd like to know), since I generally followed this recipe: [link] I made some modifications with the steaming process, and, of course, I used cherry and pineapple preserves, respectively, with a few chopped walnuts thrown in.
I did manage to royally screw up the first batch by adding too much water to the dough. I learned that one the hard way (only use 2/3 cup water!). The second batch turned out fine, though if you're using something as wet as preserves, you're better off only adding 1/4-1/2 a spoonful to each manjuu. They won't fold/roll properly if there's too much moisture.
Haha, here's a picture of one of the best ones: [link] It's not perfect by any means, but I'm rather satisfied for a first try. At any rate, I'm told by a reliable source that they tasted good. :D
![[link]](http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/985/manjyuuedit.jpg){kind=link}
Alright, I apologize for the rambling. Signing off now~~"
About a week later, a friend and I made a second batch of manjuu, substituting crushed fresh blueberries and blackberry jam as the filling. The technique of rolling and stretching the dough gets easier with each repetition. :D
So this past weekend, we ventured to the Asian market again to acquire a long list ingredients necessary for my preparation of a full Japanese meal tonight. The menu was as follows:
Edamame (soy bean) salad, with fresh basil from our garden (yay!): closetcooking.blogspot.com/2008/02/edamame-salad.html
Oyakodon: japanesefood.about.com/od/ricebowl/r/oyakodon.htm
and Mitarashi dango: hungerhunger.blogspot.com/2007/09/mitarashi-dango.html
I'll post our pictures once I get a chance to hook up the camera. ^^
Everything was relatively well-received, including the edamame, though we all found the amount of rice (a little over a cup cooked per person) extremely filling (hah, and I thought I was used to it, after eating Japanese curry/sushi/etc. . .まだまだだね～ ^A^). I've gathered that donburi are rather intended as comfort foods, so the fact that they really fill you up only makes sense. :D
And though everybody seemed to enjoy the dango, there was a bit of skepticism over the soy sauce/mirin/dashi-based sauce and its use on a supposed 'dessert'. I explained that dango are more commonly classed as convenient festival snacks, and that Japanese desserts often lack the overt sweetness of desserts served in America. The dango didn't taste quite like I expected, but I love them, and they were a ton of fun to make! I think we'll try dorayaki next, seeing as I have anko paste now.
Ah, as another note, I should be uploading a new SaiMono drama translation (the one in which Ryuuki-tachi head to the lake after having been to the onsen) within the next day or so. That's all for now!