On food

[badseed1980]

1. Last night's dinner

pierceheart and I went out for shabu-shabu last night. This is one of our favorites. It's a Japanese hot-pot. Basically, you get a pot of broth that they put on an induction burner, and you dip raw foods in it to cook them. You get rice or noodles with it, and a sauce that you blend to your taste from soy sauce, minced garlic, sliced green onion, hot sauce, and this weird oily paste that I'm not sure quite what it is (some kind of fish paste?) but it's good. I always get the seafood deluxe, with many kinds of raw fish and shellfish, as well as some pre-cooked Japanese fish cakes. I get the Malaysian Satay broth and udon noodles, those thick, slippery ones. This also comes with a plate of raw veggies of various kinds. The awesome thing about it is that by the time you've cooked all your food, your broth has cooked down and absorbed some of the flavors of the food you've put into it, and it's a delicious soup. If you're within reach of a shabu-shabu joint and haven't tried it, DO.

2. Bread

I'm going to a party tonight, and I have had the urge to bake bread. I don't want to bake a loaf that sits at home slowly going stale because I don't want to eat too much of it while dieting, so this party is a great excuse for baking! I'm going to make a bread that's mostly whole wheat, but it may have some barley flour in it too, or buckwheat, or something else that looks good at Harvest Co-Op. Naturally, I have pulled out my bread bible, the Tassajara Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown, everybody's favorite Buddhist monk in the kitchen. I know a lot of people complain about the book's unscientific approach to bread, but for me, it's perfect. Yes, I know that you can more accurately control your results and be better able to duplicate them if you do things in a more scientific way, but I love the bread that comes out when I bake that book's primary recipe, and I love the writing style. It always makes me feel cheerful and calm and whimsical, like if I met the Buddha on the road, I'd pinch his cheek.

3. Potluck

I'm having dinner with some friends tomorrow night. I want to bring a reasonably healthy main dish, so I can be assured that the biggest part of the meal will be something I won't feel guilty eating. I think I'm going to do lean boneless pork chops (or maybe pork tenderloin medallions) with a dried fruit compote. I have dried cherries, dark and golden raisins, dried apricots, and dried figs. That with a bit of red wine and a little honey should be delicious. I got the idea from a Weight Watchers recipe for veal cutlets in a similar compote, though I think theirs was just figs and dried cranberries.

4. Shopping

I love going to the bulk section of Harvest Co-Op. All those grains and legumes and nuts make me want to whip up all kinds of healthy hippie foods. Good raw ingredients can be so inspiring. I went to Whole Foods the other day, and wanted to buy half the produce department there. I also got some chicken breasts which were really surprisingly...chicken-y. They were "all natural" (no unnecessary antibiotics, etc.) though not free range. They were very good, though. I should consider spending the extra money on stuff like that now and again. Anyway, Harvest Co-Op is calling me now. Time to shower, dress, and head out! I'm glad I got up early. :)

Comments

[emilytheslayer.livejournal.com]

Where did you guys go for shabu-shabu? I've been wanting to try that for a while, and can never remember where people said was good. And Wednesday is our anniversary, so we've been trying to figure out a good place to eat.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

We go to Chinatown. The first place I went to is called Shabu-Zen (http://www.shabuzen.com). It's very good, but unless you get there very early, it can be a long wait for a seat.

The restaurant we've been going to most often lately is called Kaze (http://www.kazeshabushabu.com). I like them because they have a larger variety of seafood on the seafood platter than at Shabu-Zen, and they have more types of broth available. Also, it's easier to get a seat.

Both places are great, but Kaze is my favorite.

[emilytheslayer.livejournal.com]

Thanks! We'll probably check out Kaze.

[thistleblue.livejournal.com]

One of the reasons I don't often bake bread is because it's too scientific for my liking. If I found a less rigid more intuitive recipe, I'd probably enjoy that much, much more. I'll have to look for your bread book. :)

[wench33.livejournal.com]

Will you post the fruit compote/meat recipe?? *bats yes*

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Basically, what I'm going to do is cut the apricots and figs into quarters, and put them in a pot with the cherries and raisins. Then I'm going to add some dry red wine and some sugar, along with cinnamon and cloves, and simmer until all the fruit is plump and juicy, having absorbed some or most of the wine. I'm going to simply salt the meat and brown it in a skillet. I'm going to serve the compote on top.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

OH CHEESES CHRIST. Yes. I worship at the fat-laden dairy altar that is the Whole Paycheck cheese department. OM NOM NOM.

[miss-lisa-ma.livejournal.com]

Cthulu in a hot tub! Yummyness.

[vervain13.livejournal.com]

Okay...I *so* have to go get a mop for the drool now. Love the bit about the noodles.

Mmmm...thick, slippery noodles, ;)