BRAN chef

(First drafted in 2015)

Bran is the outer shell of a wheat plant. It is a good source of dietary fiber and manganese and so it aids digestion and prevents constipation.

Adding bran to a bread starter could also make the starter more active.

Sourdough chef (bread starter) with bran

It's alive! Sourdough  chef ( starter), top view

Sourdough Bread dough on second rise.

Sourdough Bread dough with black sesame seeds ready for baking.

Baked Sourdough with Black Sesame Seeds 

Cut baked sourdough bread showing holes, a sign of good bread!

Another sourdough bread using a different mold

Pickles and Salmon Roe

In summer when watermelon is in season, it is a good idea to save the hard rind and save them for pickling.

Pickled watermelon rinds

Anytime during the year, one can pickle vegetables that are available in the market. It takes only a day to savor the pickles below and about a week to enjoy it, if kept in the refrigerator. 

Mixed Vegetable Pickles

Shoyu-zuke Sujiko

In autumn, salmon come back home to Hokkaido to spawn from their long journey across the Pacific Ocean. One could even see signs saying, "Come back, Salmon! " at that time of the year. I guess the sign should say, "Come back, Salmon! We want your eggs!". Just kidding.

Though there is usually an abundance of salmon sold in the market, not many people buy those that are called "hotchare"- a Hokkaido dialect meaning 'exhausted salmon' - exhausted from the long journey, going up the rivers to spawn their eggs, and tired from escaping salmon traps! Their meat is no longer soft,  nor are they worth buying...kind of sad... but those that were caught with eggs in them are of course considered priceless. Salmon roe is quite costly,  even here in Hokkaido.

Preparing and marinating salmon roe in Japanese sake and soy sauce is a kind of "chore" but one that I always do because I and my family love it. Best over hot steamy rice, topped with "nori"(dried seaweed)! Keeps for a week in the fridge and for months if frozen.

Fresh Salmon Roe marinated in Soy Sauce and Japanese Sake
(Shoyu-zuke Sujiko)

( First drafted in 2015)

Apricot soup and pie

Cold Apricot Soup

Cold Apricot Soup with chives

Cold Apricot Soup with basil and chives

Apricot Pie

(First drafted 1/23/2016)

Today, Saturday, was baking day. Out of the oven were: a big round loaf of Garden Herb Sourdough Bread and 2 medium loaves of Sun Dried Tomato and Garlic Sourdough Bread! So then I thought... how could we consume all these bread?  I cut and bagged three quarter pieces for friends, then thought of what to prepare for dinner that would call for bread. So I checked out the freezer and guess what I saw! Three large beef sausages! As I wanted to eat something more elaborate than boiled sausages, I reached for my iPad and typed in " recipes for sausages".  Scroll, scroll and aha! There was one named "Chorizo Poached in Red Wine".  The ingredients were minimal and the directions were easy...so here's my version of it:

Beef Sausage Poached in Red Wine

3 pieces beef sausage
1 1/2 cup red wine
3 cloves crushed garlic
1-2 bay leaf
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large skillet and bring to a boil.
Put the lid on and simmer over moderately low heat for about 15 minutes, turning once, until the sausages are plump. Uncover and let stand for about 5 minutes.

On a cutting board, slice the sausages diagonally to 1/3 inch thick.
Return the sliced sausages to the skillet and simmer further for 5 minutes.
To serve, put the sausage slices into a shallow serving bowl and add in poaching liquid as desired.

Note: Great with wine or beer...and of course, with fresh baked sourdough bread

(First drafted JAN 23,2016)

Sweets: Cheese Bars and Polvoron

(First drafted 9/18/2015)

CREAM CHEESE BARS

When it comes to desserts, cheese cake is always the first choice for me. It doesn't have to be a big piece. As long as it tastes good, a bite-size would certainly satisfy sweet tooth.

One day in September 2013, a friend told me about a confectionary store that sold little individually wrapped cream cheese bars. Inspired by her story, I made some right away. These keep well for a week in the fridge.

POLVORON

Polvoron is a childhood favorite of mine. We used to have them for snacks and had fun talking while our mouths were full of it. If you are a daring person, you should try doing the same and I guarantee that you would feel like a dragon spewing powder through your mouth! Maybe that was an exaggeration but beware, you might inhale the powder and end up choking!

Polvoron is derived from the Spanish word "polvo", meaning powder. It is a kind of shortbread - soft and crumbly - made with toasted flour, skim milk, sugar, and melted butter. Ground nuts or root products are sometimes included. For a Japanese touch, try adding powdered green tea.

One of my daughters love polvoron so much that she almost always request me to make some for her ...especially for her birthday.

As you see, the ones I had made so far were shaped like cute cherry blossoms - simply because I did not have a molder - a special kind of mold with a presser for shaping polvorons.  I used a veggie cutter, filled it with the polvoron mixture, and pressed it out with my finger. I also wrapped each polvoron in soft paper so that crumbs would not spill when eaten.  After wrapping them, I refrigerate them to keep their shape ( the butter would stiffen) and to prevent spoilage. They keep for about 2 weeks in the fridge,

Come to think of it,  the size of these polvorons was just the right size for one mouthful. Yummmm.

2013 New Year's Eve or O-misoka

2013 "O-misoka" (New Year's Eve)  Dinner

"Nishime" or simmered mixed vegetables

O-nishime is one of the basic traditional dishes for the New Year. It is one of the o-sechi ryoris that is usually served in lacquered boxes and stays good for two to three days. It includes root crops like taro, lotus root, konjac, carrots, dried mushrooms, lily bulbs,snow peas, and chicken, if desired.



Red king crab or "Tarabagani"

Red king crab probably tops the list of popular foods to eat on New Year's Eve. It's price soars during the year-end season for reasons you already know about.  On the average, a 2.0 kg whole red king crab costs about 17,000 JPY(!) ...and you have to do all the work just to savor it!



Shrimp and Scallop sashimi

Fresh shrimps and scallops are my family's favorites.  We eat them as sashimi or as norimaki ( wrapped in seaweed).