how to make a clump of mushrooms happy.

white buna-shimeji mushrooms, hypsizygus tessulatus, common name: beech mushrooms.



happy white buna-shimeji mushrooms.

(thanks jkoshi!:))

imbb 17: matcha cotton candy floss with earl grey-scented candied rose petals

what to do for imbb 17, what to do....

+ =





matcha cotton candy floss

1 cup granulated sugar, or superfine sugar
2-3 tablespoonfuls matcha green tea powder

whizz around in a food processor until mixed and fine. use in machine as directed.


earl grey scented candied rose petals

candied rose petals
one canister high quality loose earl grey tea (i recommend mariage frères earl grey imperial or any chado earl grey)

mix petals in with tea in airtight container for a week. fish out when needed (or leave in tea for a lovely rosy earl grey brew).


thanks, clement! i had a lot of fun.

on the edge of seventeen.

i will admit, there were two reasons for this particular post: the first was to remind you that the 17th edition of is my blog burning? is coming up, this time hosted by clement of the impeccable a la cuisine!, the theme this time: tea. any dish or drink that's made with tea qualifies, clement says, but he also graciously invites us all to share any experiences or rituals we may have involving said subject.

i don't have any experiences or rituals i'm allowed to share (don't mull on that), but i do have an observation i've been meaning to blog about for awhile.

the majority of people on guam prefer sweet iced tea, much like the american south, but unlike the south, the tea does not come pre-sweetened. however, most establishments provide a simple sugar syrup in a small pitcher or in individually wrapped pour packets rather than granulated sugar as the sweetener of choice. although i don't have a particular preference for sweet tea, i find that i do miss this amenity when i am on the mainland (and in hawaii. why isn't this in hawaii?) as the syrup dissolves instantly, and makes that perfect tea: ice: sugar: lemon ratio so much easier to obtain (by the way, does anyone else get even mildly annoyed with free refills that disturb that ratio? do you even get free refills where you are?).

anyway, a simple sugar syrup is as it name states, simple. just add two cups of water to one cup of sugar in a saucepan, heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. cool, then store in a clean container in the 'fridge, where it will keep indefinitely. it comes in handy when making agua frescas, citrus ades, and other summer coolers .

the second reason for this post? if i get just one person--one! i tell you--with a stevie nicks' song stuck in his or her head today, my mission has been accomplished.

i said ooh baby, ooh, said ooh.

green mango salad

in a desperate bid to seem like i'm a healthy eater (as opposed to being a healthy=hearty eater), i give you a green mango salad. mainly because i have a lot of green mangoes about, but also because in this hot weather a lot of us are experiencing, it's a light, refreshing repast. you'll find various forms of this salad throughout southeast asia, but with the basic ingredients intact: julienned green mango, cilantro, basil or mint, shallots or onions. the dressing is made with any number of ingredients, but the main idea is to achieve a balance of the following flavours: sweet, spicy, salty, and sour.

the salad above is composed of julienned green mango, cilantro, thai basil leaves, tiny cherry tomatoes, shallots, and lightly sauteed squid. i used some of the dressing to marinate the squid beforehand, but i'm not sure if it made a difference. i think next time i'll try grilling the squid over charcoal for a little smokiness. you can skip the seafood or use prawns, mussels, or even thinly slice grilled flank steak as a meatier alternative.

just as the salad, you can use whatever you like in the dressing. i used freshly squeezed lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, finely chopped thai bird chili peppers, and finely chopped shallots. i heated up the ingredients to help dissolve the sugar and mellow out the flavours a bit, but that's entirely unnecessary. just get to a flavour to you like, pour it on the mixed salad, and enjoy.

loco moco

lest you think i live off of a diet of sugar, i thought i'd throw in some "real" food, however unhealthy it may be....

loco moco (loh-koo moh-koo), a hawaiian favourite: a generous bowl of rice, topped with a ground beef patty, fried egg, and gravy. traditionally it is made with white rice, hamburger, and a brown gravy, but my version has brown rice, ground sirloin, and a mushroom cream sauce. just 'cause.

the loco moco is said to have originated in hilo, on the big island of hawaii, but it can be found all over the islands, with many various permutations. i happen to prefer the cream gravy over the brown one, grilled fish over hamburger, and brown rice over white, but that doesn't stop me from order the basic config time and again.

i once ordered a pork chop loco moco from sam choy's restaurant here on guam, which consisted of four scoops of rice, two grilled pork chops, two fried eggs, a heaping mound of grilled caramelized onions, and a shiitake mushroom cream gravy. after i was rolled out of the building, down the parking lot ramp, and woke up from my food coma, i tried recreating the mushroom cream sauce. i believe the sam choy's gravy is made with a pound of butter, 3 cups of half and half, some soy sauce and shiitake mushrooms thrown into the pan that the pork chops are cooked in, which is all well and good but actually, is not all well and good--i mean, @#$% &*#@!!!! a pound of butter to loosen up the pork grease and bits and then finished off with cream? oh go ahead, try it. live a little. die a lot.

i now do a mushroom gravy based on cream sauce i once had at the swiss inn in honolulu. considerably lighter, but packs a ton of flavour, without adding much more work (although, ya gotta try the sam choy gravy of death™ sometime--why not).


mushroom cream gravy

a handful of mushrooms sliced (about 1 to 1 1/2 cup--hey i have a beeg hand)
1 tbsp butter (or less, if using pan drippings)
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp brown sugar
chopped parsley (optional)

sautee mushrooms with a little butter or in the pan used to cook the meat portion of your moco until wilted. add wine, heavy cream, and sugar. simmer for a minute or two, add parsley, and season to taste.


update: this, i believe is the recipe for the gravy of death™ (without the dill, though)--and the pork chops are stuffed with crab meat in this recipe too [jaw dropping to floor]

liberation day.

today guam celebrates liberation day: 61 years ago, american forces ended japanese occupation of the island during world war 2. the brutality was so great that even i, a non-native guamanian who has never experienced the horror of war, am grateful to all that brought some semblance of normalcy back to the island.

'course, i'm not so sure what i think of the guys who brought the SPAM.



update: found these wonderful photos of chamorro refugees in saipan (a nearby island) in an american encampment after the war. yes, there was SPAM.

standing on the shoulders of giants, pt. 2.

the now:

giant robot: an asian-american pop culture magazine that goes above and beyond asia, america, pop, and culture. it's for the here and now. learn it, live it, love it.

oh, and buy it, 'cause i'm in it. buy it because there's a lost interview with artist margaret kilgallen (everyone should know her), phenomenal photos by takashi homma, a compendium of articles about chinese jamaicans and their involvement in the evolution of jamaican music. compelling stuff. and yeah, i'm in it (along with deanna cheuk from tokion magazine, and lance from j church).

standing on the shoulders of giants, pt. 1.

the post that goes nowhere:

the past, the present, the future: a £2 coin, underground fare, hyde park in the summertime with friends of great height and the young american girl with the guarded eyes. singer sing me a given, singer sing me a song. everybody's looking on. there's time to teach, point to point, point observation, children carry reservations.

london belongs to me. and you, of course. always.

the banana speaks.

thanks to r4kk4 for turning me on to audioblogger. she likes robots.

return of the gigis, pt. 2: coconut mango gigi

green tea granita, mango gelatin cubes, fresh mango, coconut sorbet, and toasted coconut. mmmmmmmmffffffffppph.

top tip: you can "toast" coconut flakes in your microwave by placing up to a cup of the flakes in a microwaveable dish, then zapping it in 30 second intervals. after each interval, stir the coconut a bit or toss and swirl it in the container; as the internal temperature of the coconut rises, it will begin to brown.


coconut sorbet

1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1 can coconut milk

make a simple syrup by bringing the sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, and then simmering until its volume has reduced by about half. add the coconut milk, and stir until completely incorporated and heated through. chill mixture in the fridge until completely cooled. pour into an ice cream maker, and follow manufacturer's directions. or, place in a shallow container in the freezer, then run the mix through a blender or food processor every 15-20 minutes or so to break up the large ice crystals, until it reaches desired consistency.

return of the gigis, pt. 1: tea gigi

days are warmer and as humid as ever, so i've been having lighter meals, and lots of liquid refreshments. the gigis from imbb 15 have made several appearances, and are sure to make a few more. one of my absolute favourites is tea granita with fruit gelatin, and this one is made with pineapple vanilla black tea granita, pineapple juice gelatin, and fresh pineapple soaked in vanilla syrup.



the tea is one of my all-time faves, from l'epicier, a japanese-based tea shop with branches worldwide. this particular tea, lanikai, is one of three exclusive hawaiian blends at their honolulu shop.



the tea is so beautiful to look at, with black tea leaves infused with bergamot, cornflowers, blue vanilla rock and dried pineapple chunks; you can only imagine how nice it tastes. a babelfish translation from the website only lends itself to its ephemeral air:

The seabed which was made with the lava. The various tropical fish which changes direction simultaneously and swims.
Fresh of the bergamot the fragrance heals the fatigue, leads to the seabed of the marine blue.

imbb 16: tocino de cielo

this edition of is my blog burning? is hosted by the lovely viv of seattle bon vivant, and the theme is eggs. i wasn't going to participate this time because of other obligations, but i had a fitting entry: tocino de cielo, a flan-like dessert brought to the philippines by the spanish and the portugeuse, but of arabic and moorish origin. i picked this particular dish

because
the literal translation of it is "heavenly bacon" or "lard of heaven";

because
i've been mesmerized by it ever since my tita f exclaimed, "tocino de cielo? oh it's simple--just 25 egg yolks and a kilo of sugar....";

because
the good people of jerez de la frontera in spain needed to do something with all the egg yolks left over from using egg whites to mellow tannins in red wines and remove the bitterness in sherry, so they came up with this delectation to serve with their lovely wines;

because
it is one of those dishes that sets your mind agoggle when you realize what's in it, but once you've tried it, with its lightness, sweetness, and cleanliness despite its depth of flavour, it becomes a perfectly reasonable proposition;

and because
it is simple, yet stunning, and a celebration upon itself; have you ever seen such golden sunshine on a plate?




thank you to viv, once again, for a great edition of imbb!



tocino de cielo

25 egg yolks
1 kilo (5 cups) of white sugar
2-3 cups of water

combine sugar and water in a saucepan; boil the sugar syrup until it reaches soft-ball stage. set aside all but 1/2 to 1 cup of the syrup to cool. continue cooking the smaller amount of syrup until it has caramelized. pour the caramelized sugar into individual molds or pan, and coat the bottoms evenly.

beat the egg yolks in a large bowl, then pour the syrup in a steady stream, whisking it thoroughly into the eggs. make sure the sugar syrup has completely cooled, or you risk cooking the eggs or ending up with a gloopy, clumpy mess. strain the mixture into the molds or pan, then steam or cook in a bain-marie for 20 to 25 minutes. cool before unmolding.

the meme next door

i was tagged by melissa, for nicky and oliver's the cook next door meme; it's the start of the weekend, so a little speed meme-ing is in order....

What is your first memory of baking/cooking on your own?
my first experience with an easy bake oven was basically "it's a #$%^ing lightbulb?!" i stalked off in disgust. and no, i wasn't 23 at the time, fools.


Who had the most influence on your cooking?
who invented the microwave?


Do you have an old photo as “evidence” of an early exposure to the culinary world and would you like to share it?
no.

Mageiricophobia - do you suffer from any cooking phobia, a dish that makes your palms sweat?
please do not boil me alive. i also would not like to be stuffed in a working pizza oven.

What would be your most valued or used kitchen gadgets and/or what was the biggest letdown?
most valued: a fork. biggest letdown: a fork.

Name some funny or weird food combinations/dishes you really like - and probably no one else!
i've seen what other people eat; nothing i eat can top that.

What are the three eatables or dishes you simply don’t want to live without?
salt, garlic, ginger.

Three quickies:

Your favorite ice-cream…
whatever sounds best when i want some.

You will probably never eat…
anything that will cause an allergic reaction. or death.

Your own signature dish…
light blue, concave. about six inches in diameter. :)


Added by Chefdoc…
Any signs that this passion is going slightly over the edge and may need intervention?
i blog, and i need to go to the gym.

Added by Melissa…
What's on your all-time foodie dream list? (gadgets, destinations, restaurants, dishes to try...)
a faster metabolism.

Added by me…
Have you ever poisoned/sickened anyone with your cooking? Was it deliberate?
maybe. why? what have you heard?

NEXT! i'm tapping mandingo jones, amy, and dilek.

update: i've tagged a fourth person, shuna--hope no one minds!

bloodshot eyes and a little green around the gills.

fish head eater or fish head hater? declare!

breakfast with blowtorches

it's amazing how a little butane or propane can transform an ordinary breakfast item. oatmeal brûlée: oatmeal made with steel-cut oats cooked in water, sprinkled with brown sugar, which was then blowtorched for a crunchy brûléed finish, and served with fresh berries and cream. crack open the crust with a tap of the spoon, pour in the cream, and scoop it up with a bit of the burnt sugar and berries.



this can be made with any oatmeal or hot cereal recipe of your choice, and of course, any toppings of your choice. just be sure to cook the cereal a little drier than you normally would so the sugar caramelizes properly. if you'd like a higher burnt sugar-to-cereal ratio, use a shallow soup dish; if made in individual ramekins, these would be a nice addition to any brunch.

added benefit: breaking out that blowtorch wakes you up better than any cuppa will....

name that fruit!: the mighty mangosteen

quite possibly my favourite fruit, ever: mangosteen, garcinia mangostana, from the family guttiferae. its origins have been traced to the malaccas and malaya, and is found throughout southeast asia, but very rarely outside of it. it has been planted with some success in the southern reaches of india, and in the west indies and central america, but attempts to cultivate it in the other americas, africa, and europe have been less than successful. so this, my dear tsogb readers in north america and europe, could possibly be the best fruit you'll never eat.

it is a notoriously picky tree, difficult to grow, temperamental, and the fruit does not travel well. a diva, if you will. however, the mangosteen is a jewel, indeed--a smooth, round ball of deep purple-red to purple black, capped by a citrine calyx and a chartreuse stem. the outer "husk" is smooth and hard, but when ripe, a little light pressure will force it open. if the fruit is unripe or overripe, it is it nearly impossible to open the fruit--it becomes as hard as a rock, and even a good sawing or hard swing of a baseball bat has known to be futile. once inside, though, it reveals the creamy, opaque ivory white segments within, surrounded by a reddish-purpley rind that oozes an acidic yellow latex and a juice that will stain anything it touches horrendously. there are anywhere from four to eight segments in each fruit, the largest one(s) containing a seed, which is only viable for planting within 48 hours of uncovering it.




so what does this elusive fruit taste like? i find that the flavour is reminiscent of every fruit you've ever eaten--a little like peach, strawberry, banana, mango, pineapple, pear, lychee, etcetera--and yet completely indescribable. heat and time destroy the flavour so it's impossible to taste a true mangosteen flavour from canned, dried, or bottled fruit or juice. it is sweet, tempered by a touch of sourness, it is bold, yet completely delicate. is it worth the trouble of planting, obtaining, opening, the acidic latex, and the staining juice? sweet sarah jessica parker! why yes, yes, a thousand times yes! it is.

as it is completely banned from import into the united states and next to impossible to import anywhere else, i suggest anyone interested in trying this lovely gem to take a holiday anywhere mangosteen can be found, from now until september, whilst they are in season. and if you are lucky enough to find the limited edition häagen-dazs mangosteen sorbet, then good goddess, you better contact me, pronto!


fun fact: the number of points on the little flowery star on the bottom of the fruit will tell you how many segments are inside

further reading: market manila's excellent post on this delicious fruit.

imbb 15, pt. 2: a kiss, a blush, and the jealousy unfolds.

It started out with a kiss
How did it end up like this
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss

i wanted to make a romantic dessert, but with romance you get complications, despite how simple it may seem. first: a kiss of rose petal, immediately followed by a blushing rosewater-scented sugar syrup. next: a softly set layer of gelatin made with lychee juice, shredded lychee fruit, and finely diced nata de coco coconut gel, which breaks through to tiny sago tapioca pearls in sweet coconut milk infused with the tiniest bit of star anise. it's always just a little murky and a little strange, isn't it? i leave it open to interpretations.

to eat: set aside the rose petal. spoon up the sugar syrup with a bit of the lychee gelatin, but once it is gone, break up the rest of the jelly and eat with the sago pearly coconut milk. it's up to you if you want to get to the bottom of this.



rose lychee coconut parfait

note: proportions for this are really off, as i've no idea how to make a small amount of tapioca.

rosewater sugar syrup

boil equal parts of sugar and water over medium high heat; simmer until volume has reduced to half. cool, then add rosewater syrup to to taste.

lychee jelly

dissolve 1 teaspoonful of agar-agar powder (or 1 tablespoonful of agar-agar flakes) in 250ml of lychee juice or young coconut juice. let sit for 10 minutes, then gently bring to a boil. let simmer for 5 minutes, then take off heat. add shredded lychee fruit and diced nata de coco coco gel.


sago tapioca in coconut milk

bring 3-4 cups of water to a boil, then add 1 cup of small sago tapioca pearls to the pot. stir occasionally so they don't stick to the pot or each other, and keep at a gentle boil until completely transparent, about 20 minutes? i sort of space out when i do this, it might be less. drain the water off the sago, and rinse them in cool water. set aside.

gently heat 1 can of sweet coconut milk in a pot with one whole star anise. turn off heat, and incorporate the cooked sago pearls. leave to cool, then fish out star anise before serving.

assembly: spoon tapioca into glass, then top with the still-liquid lychee gelatin. leave to set in refrigerator, about half an hour, then add a couple teaspoonfuls of the rosewater-infused syrup. top with a little torn bit of rose petal.

imbb 15, pt. 1: caffe gigi

this edition of imbb is hosted by the lovely elise, the theme: has my blog jelled? and yes, yes, quite honestly i believe it has. several times over.

one of my absolute favourite things is coffee jelly (gelatin), which i generally just have with icy milk coffee, but lately the days have been intensely...toasty, so i decided to pair up the jelly with granita, to make my coffee cooler oh-so-breezy. as the granita melts, it mixes in to the whipped cream to form a slushy, jelly creamy treat. it's simple--all you really need is coffee, unflavoured gelatin, sugar and cream. however, the addition of cardamom in the granita and orange zest in the whipped cream will take this to another level, and the traditionally autumn spicing straight into summer with you.

caffe gigi (why gigi? because g+g=gg)

coffee gelatin

2 cups freshly brewed coffee (for cardamom coffee, brew with a few crushed cardamom pods mixed in with the ground coffee beans)
1 packet of unflavoured gelatin
sugar to taste

sprinkle the gelatin into a small amount of water and let it sit for several minutes. add the gelatin to coffee and sugar in a pan over low heat, and stir until completely dissolved, at least two minutes. pour into a shallow container, and refrigerate until firm. cut into small cubes.

coffee granita

freeze 2 cups of freshly brewed coffee (you can add sugar, but i think with the sweetened jelly and whipped cream it's unneccessary) in a ziplocky type bag, and break up the freezing crystals every once in awhile, a la monkey. if you are too lazy for this method, wait until it's completely frozen and then bash it with a mallet until desired consistency has been met. i say smaller than hail, bigger than snowflakes.

assembly: fill a glass halfway with the jelly cubes, then top with a heaping amount of granita. add whipped cream sweetened with a bit of sugar and zinged with a bit of orange zest and serve immediately because i am very amused by recipes that want you to serve things immediately.



thank you elise! for hosting imbb this time around, and for having the round-up available in record time!

pönnukökur with lingonberries

a jonny angel special--icelandic pancakes with lingonberry preserves and touch of granulated sugar. jon says he's never had them in iceland, i've never had them anywhere until tonight, so i'm not sure what they are supposed to be like. from what i've read crepe-like is the norm, so i used the recipe provided as a guideline with different proportions. this is what i ended up with, and they were kinda fabulous--softer and fluffier than crepes, and the added bit of cardamom nicely complemented the sweet-tart lingonberries.

pönnukökur

1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
50g of melted butter

mix the dry ingredients together, then add the wet ingredients until just mixed. let it sit for half an hour. pour roughly 1/4 cup of batter onto a very hot, greased griddle and cook until each side is golden brown. spread some lingonberry preserves thinly onto one side, then fold into quarters.

are *you* feeling lucky?

click the button and see!

i have to admit, i've been a little green banana-y envious of how others are found on google, especially if you hit the "i'm feeling lucky" button and they top the list. pim used to have the best with "pim is a pig" but tragically is usurped by spiceblog with the exact same phrase. noodlepie had it for a minute with "wonderful photos", but sadly, that no longer is the case. he still does have wonderful photos, though. anyway, tonight i found the phrase that takes you straight to me: "asian death rituals".

!!!

have you found your "i'm feeling lucky" phrase yet?

***
pieman is excessively proud to announce that pizza piss maid is the path to noodle google enlightenment, and

i've just discovered that reid is pineapple man works for spiceblog as well. hm.

vivilicious's lucky google phrase is the fantastic kimchi mania whilst exotica blog's jonny is definitely a kimchi librarian.

did you know that if pierre herme tastes like pumpkin, you'd end up at a la cuisine! but if pierre herme tastes like squash you'd be at il forno? who knew? i'll bet monsieur herme didn't.