Anmitsu - Japanese dessert

Dear bed,

You're so warm and toasty, and I almost wish you weren't this comfy making it so hard for me to get up in the morning.

Dear rain,
Please can you re-think your forecasted long stay this week?

Dear pizza delivery boy,

Please don't deliver anymore pizzas to my place. *burp*

Dear treadmill,

You make me sweaty and my heart beat faster than anything else. And you challenge me like no-one does. That's why I like you. 

Dear friend,

Thank you for your 'surprise'. Now I can watch Ugly Betty and The Mentalist whenever I want!

Dear poodle in cooking with dog,
Your hair is slightly wonky at times but I admire your patience and self control whilst your owner is cooking.

Dear Australian winter,

Your baldness (on trees) is starting to appeal to me. I also like how I can turn up my heater and eat summertime desserts when you're around too. 

Have you seen the youtube cooking videos: cooking with dog? 

I've been a fan for a while now. Not just because I am fascinated by a sleepy poodle who sits by the stove like a rock, but I adore all the mouth-watering Japanese dishes featured on this channel.

So remember how I was sick a few weeks back? I watched the clip for Fruit Cream Anmitsu then and it immediately took me back to my unforgettable Japan trip (where I had anmitsu every single day) and I wanted to recover from the flu faster than anything else. (Talk about the most effective 'medication'!)

Anmitsu is a popular Japanese dessert made of small cubes of agar agar in a brown sugar syrup. It is also served with sweetened red bean paste, pieces of gyuhi (mochi-like sweets) and a scoop of ice-cream. Oh and decorated with seasonal fruits too. Yummo!

Ok, wanna see how it's made?

First you'll need to make some agar agar. Not flavoured or sweetened. Simple as!

Then dice them up into dainty fine cubes...so translucent that it's almost like they're invisible!

To make the kuromitsu (Japanese sugar syrup) to go with the agar agar, you'll need to melt some dark brown or muscovado sugar with corn syrup.

Pour it onto the agar agar...

To make the gyuhi (which is a type of traditional Japanese mochi), get some glutinous rice flour in either powdered form or granules...

...add a bit water to the rice flour and heat it up and eventually you'll get something like this...

To prevent the glutinous rice flour mixture sticking to everything else, you'll need to dust some potato starch all over!

Then you make some anko - sweet red bean paste (just because red beans and green tea ice-cream are a match made in heaven!) If you don't have time, just buy them canned (sweetened) at your local Asian grocery store. Recipe (or rather, another youtube video with the poodle) for anko can be found here.

Then it's just a matter of slicing up the oranges wedges and strawberries...and adding a scoop of the green tea ice-cream! You might want to use an ice-cream scoop for this. Sadly I don't own one. I wonder why? Definitely not because I eat ice-cream out of the box! How unladylike!

If you generally love Japanese desserts and can never get enough of the red bean and matcha (green tea) combination, I think you might totally adore this...even on a cold winter's day :)

Fruit Cream Anmitsu

From Cooking with Dog

Serves 3

• 4g/0.141 oz Agar Powder
• 500ml Water (2.11 us cup)
• 1 tbsp Mizuame - Thick Starch Syrup (I used light corn syrup)
• 100g Kurozato - Muscovado or Unrefined Brown Sugar (3.53 oz)
• 70ml Water (2.37 fl oz)
• 30g Shiratamako - Glutinous Rice Flour (1.06 oz)
• 50g Sugar (1.76 oz)
• 60ml Water
• Potato Starch
• 3 Strawberries
• 3 Navel Orange wedges
• 3 tbsp Anko - Sweet Red Bean Paste (buy canned or recipe here.)
• 3 scoops of Matcha Ice Cream (I bought mine but you can make it using this recipe)
• 20-30 Boiled Aka Endomame - Red Endo Beans (I omitted this).

The simple instructions for the recipe can be found from the linked videos! :)

Watch them! They're kinda...cute?! 

Might also make you want to get a dog to cook with too!

Have a blessed week ahead :)

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Goma Dofu - Sesame Tofu

I'm still living in 2010 at the moment in my head.

Because I haven't the chance to think about New Year's resolutions yet.

And I haven't passed on my greetings and best wishes to you.

So I'm doing it now. Passing on my greetings I mean. Resolutions don't necessarily have to start in January in my book.

So I hope your holiday season was very nice.

And that you got to be with the ones you love to plant kisses on and share food with...

And that you thought about the meaning of Christmas....

And if you were going through a rough time, I hope you found hope and consolation in the midst of it all.

Thank you for your readership and encouraging comments over the past year. You've made this journey so much more fun than a while ago when I used to begin my posts with 'Dear void'. Thanks for turning that void into friends. Or virtual friends.

So I was home for the holidays and was joyfully stuffed with Chinese food - crispy duck, shallot pancakes, stir fried noodles, dumplings, and everything else drool-worthy. Not your typical Christmas-type food. We also dined out almost everyday and that's the way it has been all my life - Christmas is celebrated with Chinese food usually not prepared at home. It's a tradition!

This post is rather special to me because because this goma dofu (sesame 'tofu' - not really tofu) has been planned for a long time now. Why so long, you ask? Ever since I saw this post on JustHungry, I knew straight away that I needed to make this - sesame tofu is one of my favourites to order in Japanese restaurants, but they're usually in fried form like agedashi tofu. I love the intense sesame flavour (from tahini) and the smooth tofu-like texture of this dish!

However, the problem I had was sourcing pure kuzu powder. The ones at the Japanese stores are usually sweet potato starch and arrowroot, which would not work according to the recipe. So for the past few months, I've scoured every Asian or Japanese grocery store I came across with no luck. 

Until last month Mother went to Japan and bought some for me. 

Probably the best Christmas present ever.

I hope you can find kuzu powder easier than I have and give this a go. Oh, and do you know that kuzu has a lot of health benefits and is also used as a hangover remedy in China as it detoxifies the liver? You learn something new everyday, huh?

This dish is eaten cold, with a dash of soy sauce (as the tofu itself is bland) and wasabi (which I didn't have).

Enjoy.

(p.s. I used the rest of the kuzu powder to make kuzumochi - sticky mochi cake. One of the yummiest Japanese summertime dessert!)

Goma Dofu (Sesame Tofu)

From Just Hungry

Serves 4

• 70g (2.5 oz) tahini or nerigoma that has been stirred very well
• 50 g (1.75 oz) kuzu powder
• 500ml (2 cups plus a tablespoon) water, filtered water preferred
• Equipment needed: bowl, pan, square container to mold the goma dofu

1. Combine the kuzu powder with a little water to make a paste. Add the rest of the water and mix well.

2. Put into a pan over medium heat, and add the tahini or nerigoma. Mix continuously, smooshing any lumps of sesame paste and incorporating it as well as possible into the liquid. When it heats up it will start to thicken and get a bit lumpy - keep stirring to smooth out the lumps. After a while, it will turn from milky to a bit more translucent in color and have the consistency of a thick pudding.

3. Wet the inside of the square container you’ll use as the mold. Pour in the hot pudding-like mixture and smooth out the top. Bang the container a few times onto a countertop or table to get rid of bubbles. Let cool to room temperature, and then put into the refrigerator to cool, about 2 hours.

4. Unmold and cut into squares. Serve chilled, with wasabi or grated fresh ginger and soy sauce. (The goma dofu on its own is quite bland, so it does need the sauce.) It’s really nice as a cold appetizer on a warm day. It can be stored, well covered, in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Happy New Year.

It's 2011. I'm here and I'm present. And hope you are too!

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Japanese beef and potato stew with konnyaku noodle

As strange as it may sound, for the past few weeks I've been feeling like an alien (not the glowing green type) in a foreign land. I might as well as have moved to a country whose name I can't even spell. Like Kazakhstan (spelt with the assistance of Google autocomplete of course.)

Raining...but at least I have an umbrella!

Everywhere I went, I looked for 'familiarity' and found little of it.

In the supermarket, the brands of my usual staples like milk and eggs are different (who would've thought that those everyday items are different even one state away!) No big deal obviously. Changes are good.

Coffee at Brunetti on my first day in Melbourne!

Then on Thursday night, I strolled around the city confused as to why the shops were closed before 6pm. Isn't it late night shopping? Nope, it's Friday. Seriously, who goes shopping on a Friday night? (Ok, I did...after I found out).

Then there's the train which is incredibly unstable and literally shook me off my seat. And I also learnt that the train doors don't open automatically. On my first week here, I missed a train because I stood in front of a door waiting for it to open and before I could comprehend what was happening, the train started moving again! I guess this is more silliness on my part ;)

There is something deeply romantic about a flower shop on a rainy day. Don't you think?

Maybe it is also because I've moved into a different industry...away from all the computer geeks and into research where people in the office spam my inbox with abbreviations as long as a strand of the human genome. Ok not really. But initially it was strange not to see people in their pin-stripped uniform and a mouthful of corporate buzz-words.

And so I did come up with ways just to find that feeling of familiarity - a smell, a sight, a sound, a taste or a prayer. I found it in a few places. And one of them is my kitchen. My food. My food seems to taste the same everywhere I go. 

This Japanese beef and potato stew with konnyaku noodle (to replace my usual Chinese noodles) tastes the same as the version I grew up with. The simple sweet soy broth with tender (and fatty!) beef, hearty vegetables and the slightly chewy strands of this healthy konnyaku noodle is best eaten curled up on the couch while you watch a movie on T.V you've seen a few times already. 

Ahhh, the familiarity of it all!

Japanese beef and potato stew with konnyaku noodle

Adapted from MASA

Ingredients

• 200g beef, sliced thinly (I used wagyu beef)
• 500g Potato, peeled and chopped roughly (although I chopped into cubes to shorten cooking time)
• 100g Carrots, chopped any way you like
• 1 tomato (optional)
• 300g Onions, sliced thinly
• 5 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp cooking sake
• 1.5 tbsp mirin
• 1 packet of konnyaku noodle (from Japanese/Asian grocery stores)

1. Boil the konnyaku noodle into a pot of hot water for around 2 minutes.

2. In a big pot, add a splash of cooking oil and put in your meat slices.

3. Add the konnyaku from step 1 as well as the onions into the pot and stir around the pot for a few minutes.

4. Add the potatoes, carrots as well as the tomatoes and stir around the pot. Then add into the pot around half a litre of water.

5. Turn the gas up to High and bring to boil for 2-3 minutes. Then turn down the heat before you add in the sauces (soy, mirin, sake and sugar).

6. Put a lid over the pot and cook until the water/stock has reduced and the potatoes/carrots are soft and cooked through.

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Tokyo - final days

Rather than uploading all the photos from my Tokyo culinary adventures here, I thought I'd just highlight some of the places that I've been to over the weeks I was there.

For those who adore anything 'Green Tea'...

Koots is a green-tea lovers dream - it has all sorts of green-tea desserts and a huge selection of green-tea drinks! I love this place so much that I had to go twice. These are the type of things that make my feet do the happy taps while I eat.

Green-tea ice-cream with green-tea latte

For those on a tight budget...

You can't get any cheaper than at Hanamaru - Japan's largest udon franchise chain. Their most basic udon noodle starts at 105 Yen which is just under AUD $1.50 using today's exchange rate.

You can choose any style of udon - hot or cold, with curry or a poached egg, with natto, seaweed or with fried bean curd. Then you can also help yourself to a selection of tempura available for self serve.

Cold udon with grated radish

Hot udon soup

For those wanting a different dessert experience...

Yoshi Yoroizuka is unlike any dessert place I've been to. It is a stylish and elegant 'pastry bar' where the pastry chefs make the desserts right in front of you step-by-step.

Unfortunatley I don't have any photos of the experience there but head on over to this blog if you are keen to see what the 'bar' looks like!

Below is one of the desserts that we bought from the pastry store on the way out - Rhubarb and raspberry mousse tart! It was elegant and delicious (although, I still think that Hidemi Sugino is the best!).

For those who has time for a lazy afternoon...

HARBS is a quaint little cafe residing in the Roppongi Hills complex in Tokyo and they're famous for their layered crepe cake sandwiching fresh fruits and cream. You will find here the majority of customers are women chatting over some afternoon tea and light snacks.

Crepe layered fruit cake

Orange and mint tea

I drool every time I think about this omelette sandwich

For those souffle lovers...

Le Souffle has a whole page of menu dedicated to - you've guessed it, souffles! From the simple vanilla flavour to hazelnut, Grand Marnier and apricot souffles- choosing one is definitely a huge ask! I wanted to try pretty much everything! Since they make souffles from scratch from the time you order, it takes a good 15-20 minutes before your souffles arrive.

I was admiring the perfect looking souffles when they were brought out and before I could whip out my camera, the tops began to sink :(

Lemon souffle

Destructing my Chocolate with raspberry centred souffle

Instructions on how to eat a souffle properly!

For those who just don't know where to go for ramen...

Ippudo is one of the more well-known ramen joints in Tokyo - in fact it is so famous that a chain was opened in New York City. I think ramen really comes down to a matter of personal preference and while some ramen connoisseurs may not regard Ippudo as one of the tops, I reckon it is definitely one of my favourites in Japan (however I've only been to a handful).

We waited for 15 minutes outside in the 36C heat!

Business men in ramen action.

Oiiishiii!

The broth makes me want to float around in it, if that makes any sense

For those who want delicious sushi at the best value...

Can I introduce you to Midori? This is the first place I think of as soon as my flight lands in Tokyo. Beware of long queue at Friday and weekends! I waited for 2 hours once at their original Umegaoka branch (which is the best of all branches!)

Midori has never disappointed me from all my visits and I actually thought the food here is much better than the ones I've had in Tsukiji Fish market! ;)

Sushi Set

This one thing called aburi engawa probably sums up what I go to Japan for...it is amazing!

Plump and juicy scallops

Aburi sushi set

Avacado salad

Long strand of irresistable aburi engawa

Black sesame ice-cream with red beans

For those wanting to indulge a little bit more...

Henri Charpentier is a French-styled Japanese patisserie that I've been meaning to try for a while. As I really didn't have enough room in my stomache for dessert that day, I just had to buy some to take back to the hotel with me to indulge later at night.

Since mangoes are in season, we got the mango silk roll and a mango mousse log.

Deliciously fresh mangoes with light mango mousse and sponge....I'm in dreamland!

Mango silk roll cross-section

For those lactose intolerant (or not) on a hot day....

I'm not recommending any one place in particular, but it seems a number of places I visited in Tokyo sell soy ice-cream and they are so good! It's not just because I'm a soy lover, but they're so light, summer-y and highly addictive (and healthy I hope!). I had some at the Tsukiji Fish Market (one of the stalls) and some at Roppongi Midtown. For me, no trip to Japan is complete without one!

Tofu ice-cream from B1 level in Roppongi Midtown

Do you know any other places which fall into the above categories?!

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