Tuesday July 19, 2005
This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
Over the past few months, when I found myself with a little idle time at evening's end, I'd spend it cruising the endlessly fascinating world of food blogging, visiting the sites of my peers and colleagues, relishing in vicarious victuals by food bloggers of every ilk. Much to my delight, I discovered that the abundance of talent, variety, experience, creativity, and genuine wit out there is absolutely AWESOME, and I mean that in the truest sense of the word, almost to the point of being intimidating for a newbie like me.
In my online travels, I visited the sites of no fewer than 300 fellow food bloggers (and that's not even all of them...every day I discover some new siren voice). Along the way, I noted the e-mail addresses of those food bloggers whose sites fulfilled the rigorous criteria of culinery expertise, articulate writing skills, a compelling theme, wry humor, visually appetizing presentation, and consistent posting. Of the entire list, there were 218 that passed muster (alas, a few really good ones didn't list any contact info, and still there are plenty of others whose sites I've yet to discover).
Once I'd visited each and every food blog website I could find, I composed a friendly e-mail to compliment them all on their excellent blogs and invited them to drop by Chopstick Cinema for a get-acquainted visit. As an afterthought I also followed up with another e-mail to inquire whether any of them had any travel experience in Japan, and would they be interested in contributing to a Japan travel guide that I am editing. And I have to say that...the response was overwhelming.
Although it was with great trepidation that I contacted more than 200 total strangers who are all doing essentially the same thing I'm doing every day, I found my fellow food bloggers to be a warm and welcoming community of people whose shared purpose is a genuine love of food in all its rich and varied glory.
On the day that I sent out the e-mail, my inbox overflowed with favorable responses, some to congratulate me on the unique theme of my blog, others who want to contribute to my Japan travel guide or know someone else who might, some who want to subscribe to a monthly reminder to check out my film review and recipes at the end of each month, some who want to send me chopsticks, some who want to collaborate on other ideas, and some in the San Francisco Bay Area who might even like to meet in person someday.
Of especial warmth and help were Johanna the Passionate Cook, Deb at Murray Hill 55, June at Nibble & Scribble, Phil the Evil Fruit Lord, Stephanie at The Daily Vegetable, Christina at the Thorngrove Table, Karen at The Pilgrim's Pots and Pans, Minette at Lafang List, Molly at Orangette, Adrienne at Nosheteria, Carolyn at 18thC Cuisine, Hana at The Kitchen Crusader, Josh at Typographica, Tim at Eat Barcelona, Matthew at Bourrezvisage, Stephanie the Happy Sorceress, Michael at Cooking for Engineers, The Pinoy Cook, Eustella at Stella Bites, Lenn at Lenndevours, Harlan at the Green Cutting Board, Jon at Noshblog, Alanna at Kitchen Parade, Jennifer at Skinny Chef, and...
Ronald at Love Sicily, who added me to his Food Blogs Live list, Sam of Becks & Posh, who mentioned my quest for writers on her Food Blog S'cool site, Rowena at Rubber Slippers in Italy, who has the cutest little dog and posted my quest for Japan travel writers on her blog site, and Zora of the Roving Gastronome, who has referred no fewer than two dozen excellent writers my way.
Not to mention Vic at Vic Cherikoff's Blog, Alice at Epicurean Debauchery, Anthony at Spiceblog, Helen of Grab Your Fork, Steve at Zarzamora, Derrick at Obsession With Food, Nikki at Esurientes, Yongfook, Fish Fish at KuishinboMeow, and Asa Sa of Obachan's Kitchen & Balcony Garden, all of whom have offered to contribute their expertise to my Japan travel guide.
And of course, I've saved the best for last...Guy (aka Dr. Biggles) at Meathenge, who (although we have not yet met in person) has become not only a newfound friend and just-down-the-road SF Bay Area neighbor, but also a valued mentor in the bewildering and boggling world of foodblogging. Thanks to a tip from Guy, I entered my first food bloggers' contest, a photo in IMBB's "Does My Blog Look Good In This?", expertly and cleverly hosted this time by Lex Culinaria. And in tomorrow's blog, I will be chronicling the process of entering a recipe in yet another contest, one for an 'Everyday Favorite Recipe', hosted by none other than Dr. Biggles himself.
So...while basking in the warmth of all this radiant response, I have to ask...."Is My Blog Blushing?"
12:12 AM PDT
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Monday July 18, 2005
This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
Although summer salads are typically light, the Korean love of all things beef seemed to require that even the salad feature a morsel or two. So I bought a package of meaty and nicely marbled sirloin tidbits that were labeled suitable for stew or stir-fry, trusting my intuition that, after spending the night in a soy, sesame oil, lime, ginger, and garlic marinade, they would grill up nicely and when sliced across the grain, would make a tender topping for a salad of summer greens picked fresh from my garden. And boy was I right. After all, how could a winning combination like that go wrong?
The recipe will be posted at the end of the month along with my 'Way Home' film review. If you would like to receive an e-mail reminder when the recipe and film review are posted, send a request to cheiter@thingsasian.com.
A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.
09:17 PM PDT
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Sunday July 17, 2005
This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
After several days of waiting for the stars and planets to line up so I could make my 'Way Home' Korean soup and salad course, I finally did the deed. I thought I was poised to do it on the weekend, but the weather was insufferably hot, and by the time it cooled off, I had an additional inspiration to make a noodle dish to enter in a contest by a fellow foodblogger and discovered that I was missing a key ingredient which required a trip to an out-of-town Asian market to find it (which is another story unto itself that I will save for a leisurely afternoon a little later in the week).
So...back to the Spicy Korean Kimchi Tofu Soup. When I began researching and developing the recipe, I had a feeling that it would be tasty, but little did I know just how tasty. The generic chicken broth was brought to life by the vibrant spice of the kimchi, while the spice of the kimchi was pleasantly mitigated by the gentleness of the broth. I think the word is symbiosis. Or perhaps it's synergy. Actually, I think it's both!
The recipe will be posted at the end of the month along with my 'Way Home' film review. If you would like to receive an e-mail reminder when the recipe and film review are posted, send a request to cheiter@thingsasian.com.
A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.
09:05 PM PDT
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Saturday July 16, 2005
This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
The weather was very hot again today, so I decided to postpone my soup and salad course for one more day. Instead I did a little shopping in a nice, air-conditioned grocery store for the last few items I will need.
The soup recipe calls for chicken stock, soy sauce, ginger, scallions, mushrooms, kimchi, and firm tofu, all of which I now have in my kitchen. And the salad will be improvised depending upon what strikes my fancy when time comes to compose it. My son Will is with me for the whole week while his dad is traveling, so he will be here to enjoy a nice light Korean lunch with me.
A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.
12:18 AM PDT
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Friday July 15, 2005
This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
It's time to make the soup and salad course for my 'Way Home' Korean dinner menu, and amazingly I have nearly everything I need, thanks in part to all the goodies I'm growing in my garden. The mesclun greens are at their peak, my first yellow squash is ready to pick, I'm still getting snow peas and plenty of haricot vert, and there's fresh mint and basil. I'm still deciding what combination of things I'm going to include in the salad, and will let inspiration prevail tomorrow.
The dishes I'm planning to prepare are Kimchee Tofu Soup and Mesclun Greens with Spicy Beef tossed in an Asian Vinaigrette. And I will probably add a main course just to round out the table. There's chicken in the freezer just waiting to be turned into a tasty Korean dish.
A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.
09:11 PM PDT
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Thursday July 14, 2005
This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
Several months ago, Rene bought a motorcycle. An 800 cc Suzuki Marauder. A sleek and shiny black beauty with a customized chrome exhaust system that I can hear from several blocks away. This motorcycle is something he's always wanted, and since buying it he has spent countless hours riding it, maintaining it, reading cycle-related magazines, and watching American Chopper on the Discovery Channel.
Unfortunately, as much as I want him to enjoy the exhilaration of cruising the open road, and would never deny him that free-wheeling pleasure, I can't say that I was wholeheartedly supportive of his purchase, since I was ejected off the back of a Honda Gold Wing many years ago as a passenger in what could easily have been a fatal accident. I was incredibly fortunate to have walked away from the scene with nothing more than a few scratches on my hands and both the hip pockets ripped right off the butt of my expensive Guess jeans. I was definitely lifted on the wings of angels that afternoon.
Needless to say, I've been hesitant to get back in the saddle, but because Rene is so enamored of his newfound passion, how could I refuse his invitation to go for a spin (not to mention that he is probably the most cautious and safety-minded guy I know). But for a thousand different reasons, including stressful schedules, bad timing, inclement weather, and mechanical malfunctions, it has taken nearly a year for us to straddle the beast and go for a ride.
Having just returned from my first ride in nearly twenty years, I gotta say that it was truly worth the wait.
A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.
11:37 PM PDT
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Wednesday July 13, 2005
This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
It's been hotter than the hinges of Hades these past few days in the Napa Valley, so I was grateful to have all the leftovers from the Korean Kujolp'an appetizers, since they included so many fresh, crunchy vegetables. My son Will got to enjoy the plate I composed for last night's photograph, and I nibbled on various components of the feast all day long. What an extended treat, and a welcome respite from the kitchen in the summer heat.
A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.
10:53 PM PDT
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Tuesday July 12, 2005
This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
In keeping with this month's food theme to accompany the delightful film 'The Way Home', today was the day I chose to make my Korean appetizers. This was only the second time I've ever prepared Korean food, and for the appetizer, I chose Kujolp'an, a classic 'Nine Treasure' assortment of fillings for delicate, paper-thin pancakes. The nine fillings I chose were thinly sliced beef marinated in Korean barbeque sauce, stir-fried shrimp, red radishes, blanched snow peas (picked fresh from my garden), julienne cucumber, garlic sauteed mushrooms, pan fried scallions, sweet and salty pickles, and spicy kimchi, which I purchased from Tin's market in Oakland, and as warned on the label, exploded in a spirited fermentation ejaculation in my kitchen sink when I opened it. Huzzah!
Just to round out the meal, I prepared a ceviche of orange roughy marinated overnight in fresh squeezed lime juice, an extra item not originally on the menu, and truth be told, not even a Korean dish. But I had been craving it for weeks, ever since I bought the package of fish filets for last month's Golden Fish Nuggets, and just couldn't wait another minute to have it. It was absolutely delicious in its pristeen simplicity, as was the rest of the meal.
The beef was tender and savory, although I cheated and used Korean barbeque sauce from a jar (just for comparison's sake, as I will be making my own when I prepare the main course next week). And the accompaniments were the perfect combination of flavors. I especially loved the blanched snow peas, which I chilled overnight and cut diagonally into bite-sized bits. Now that I have them growing in my garden, I think I'm addicted. (perhaps a snow pea intervention is in order). Alas the vines are a tangled mess and are almost played out, as they were the first to sprout and the first to bear. I might get one more coveted serving from them before time to plow them back into the ground from which they sprang.
But I digress. The Kujolp'an appetizer is anything but. The modest portions of each of the nine items I prepared turned into a feast all unto itself. I can't imagine eating four more courses after the banquet we just consumed. And believe it or not...there are leftovers. Guess what I'm having for lunch tomorrow...
A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.
11:57 PM PDT
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Monday July 11, 2005
This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
Today was shopping day for the fresh ingredients to make my 'Way Home' Korean appetizers. And since the produce is always nice and fresh and so much more economical at my favorite Mexican market, I started there. And anything Asian I couldn't find, I left on my list for a second stop at my neighborhood market. But even there, I still found one thing lacking, so I will have to stop by my favorite gourmet grocery for a piece of daikon radish. Fortunately, I had already shopped at Tin's Market in Oakland on my birthday excursion for two of the most important components: kimchi and a cheater jar of Korean Barbeque Sauce that I will use to marinate the meat.
For tomorrow's appetizer, I'm going to be making Kujolp'an, a nine item assortment of spicy grilled meat and crisp vegetables to fill wraps made with leafy lettuce and delicate pancakes. I will also be serving a couple of different dipping sauces, one spicy, one sweet and sour. And just to make sure the presentation makes a filling meal, I've added a fish ceviche marinated in fresh squeezed lime juice and rice vinegar. It's not exactly authentic Korean fare, but I've been craving it for days now and had the fish on hand, so I thought it might make a nice accompaniment to the Kujolp'an.
A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.
12:12 AM PDT
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Sunday July 10, 2005
This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
The last time I made Korean food, I went with basic serving dishes in white, off-white and a few subtle Asian patterns. But my recent research has reminded me that Korea is also known for that lovely celadon pottery, of which I have none. So over the next few days, I will be visiting all my favorite haunts for some more authentic pieces to supplement what I already have.
I think I spotted a few items of celadon ware the last time I was in Shackford's, our local downtown kitchen and restaurant supply shop. I love browsing around in there and even if I don't find what I went in there looking for, I rarely walk out empty handed. And one of my favorite thrift shops is right next door, so it's two birds with one stone in that neighborhood.
A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.
12:01 AM PDT
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Saturday July 09, 2005
This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
To prepare the menu for my 'Way Home' Korean dinner, I will need a wok, a rice cooker and a grill, plus several items from my garden variety cookware. Since I live in a duplex rental with a testy smoke alarm, and have included so many different types of meat on the menu, my stove-top grill pan is out of the question, and I have yet to invest in an outdoor grill. So I will be using my little George Foreman electric grill. Although it is pretty much the 'Easy-Bake Oven' of grilling, I find that it works fine for an intimate dinner for two. It's efficient, simple to use, non-stick and easy to clean.
A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.
12:01 AM PDT
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Friday July 08, 2005
This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
Although I have my doubts about being able to find any of Korea's native beers, which include Hite, OB and Ponghak, I will be serving some kind of Asian beer with my 'Way Home' Korean dinner, most likely the ubiquitous Chinese brew TsingTao, or perhaps a nice cold Sapporo, given the Japanese/Korean connection when it comes to food.
Korea also produces several types of spirits, including yakju, a liquor fermented from rice; soju, a clear, strong distilled liquor made from sweet potatoes; takju, a thick, unfiltered liquor fermented from grain; a variety of fruit wines made from plums, cherries, and pomegranates, and certain types of medicinal spirits distilled from herbs, seeds and roots such as ginseng.
Drinking etiquette in Korea requires pouring beverages for each other. Younger people pour for their elders, and those with lower rank pour for their superiors. When pouring, the right sleeve should be held in place with the left hand, and glasses should never be allowed to run dry.
A popular Korean hangover cure called baejangguk is a broth made from beef bone and marrow, cabbage leaves and clotted ox blood. Baejangguk is often served by pubs in the early hours of the business day.
A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.
12:01 AM PDT
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Thursday July 07, 2005
This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
Each year in Japan, on the seventh day of the seventh month, they celebrate the festival of Tanabata. It's my favorite Japanese festival, and certainly the most romantic. The Japanese version of Tanabata is based on the Chinese tale of a handsome young cowherd and a beautiful weaver.
This beautiful illustration is just one of many from my favorite Tanabata book titled The Seventh Sister, A Chinese Legend, retold by Cindy Chang and illustrated by Charles Reasoner. Follow this link to order from Amazon.com.
As the story goes, each night the celestial maiden and her beautiful sisters weave the starry tapestry of the night sky; and each day the seven sisters come down to earth to bathe in a pond near the cowherd's pasture. One day, the cowherd spies the celestial maiden, and while she bathes, he steals the magical robe that gives her the power to fly. When the sisters finish bathing, they take to the skies again, and the celestial maiden is left behind. When the young cowherd comes to her rescue, the maiden is sad because she cannot return home, but she stays with the cowherd and soon falls in love with him.
Over time however, they realize that the sun no longer sets, and there is no nighttime for rest and sleep because the maiden is not there to help her sisters weave the tapestry of the night sky. It is then that the cowherd confesses the theft of her robe, and the maiden knows that she must bid her lover goodbye and return to her home in the sky.
But the maiden is so sad that, as she works her shuttle, her tears fall on the tapestry, each one creating a twinkling star. Over time, she cries so many tears that they become a river of stars. Meanwhile, back on earth the cowherd too is sad. However, a kindly magpie takes pity on him, and once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh month, the magpie enlists the aid of his flock to create a bridge of wings across the river of stars so that the two lovers can be together for one special night.
In the night sky, you can see the two lovers, Orihime the weaver, and Hikoboshi the cowherd, as two bright stars, Vega and Altair, separated by the starry river of the Milky Way. And every year, on the seventh of July, the Japanese celebrate Tanabata, which means Seven Evenings, by decorating the streets with pink streamers tied to the ends of long bamboo poles. The whole city turns pink with them, and lovers write special prayers on tiny pieces of paper and tie them to the streamers in hopes that they will be carried up to heaven where their wishes will be granted by the gods. It's a tale and a celebration of romance quite unlike any other.
A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.
03:11 PM PDT
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Wednesday July 06, 2005
This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
Appetizers:
Korean Appetizer Platter with Pancake Wraps
Sweet 'n Sour & Spicy Dipping Sauces
Korean Pickles & Kimchi
Soup & Salad:
Tofu Kimchi Soup
Mesclun Greens with Spicy Grilled Beef
Main Course:
Mixed Korean Bulgogi Grill with Assorted Marinades
Garlic Ginger Rice
Stir Fry Vegetables with Chili Paste
Dessert: Fresh Fruit Marinated in Spice Infused Rice Wine
A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.
12:06 AM PDT
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Tuesday July 05, 2005
This Month's Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean
For my 'Way Home' Korean dinner, I will be relying on inspiration from Corinne Trang's Essentials of Asian Cuisine, plus a little help from several Internet websites, although I always modify the recipes to suit my own tastes.
Last year's '301/302' Korean menu featured Breaded Prawns with Chili Mayonnaise, Homemade Kimchi, Sweet Daikon Radish Pickles, Chilled Cucumber Soup, Korean Mixed Bulgogi Grill, Vegetable Pancakes with Dipping Sauce, Fried Jasmine Rice and Peaches Marinated in Rice Wine. Some of the dishes were so delicious that I want to reprise them with this month's menu, especially the Mixed Bulgogi Grill and the marinated fruit. But I would like to try some different dishes for the appetizers, soup, salad, main course accompaniments and dessert.
A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.
06:01 PM PDT
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