JAPANESE COOKING: Shredded Chicken in Dashi Broth

So I've been having almost constant cravings for Japanese food, and unfortunately, really good Japanese food is a bit of a drive in either direction. So I thought, why not learn how to make it? So I got a couple of books and I am going through them and teaching myself some Japanese dishes. The books are Japanese Light, by Kimiko Barber and Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen by Elizabeth Andoh.

The first thing I've been making is soup. The first soup I made was a very basic and simple chicken soup.

There's not much to this soup, just the broth and the chicken, but you could easily add some noodles or vegetables to the final product for something heartier. If you just want a simple meal, then this is very nice with some rice and a vegetable.


I'm not going to include the recipe, since this is part of the book and so you really should purchase the book for the recipes. Instead, I'll just describe and show you some pictures. I will include a recipe for a basic dashi that you can use as the base of any soup.

Above is the broth I made first as it cooked. It is similar to a normal chicken broth, except that there are some Japanese ingredients as well: kombu and a shiitake mushroom. Kombu is a kind of seaweed and it helps add a rich, oceany, umami flavor to the broth.


Here is the finished product, which I ate with some rice and cucumber salad and sake. It made a nice simple meal, which what I usually like to eat at home.

Dashi is the basic broth for Japanese soups. Dashi is used in many things that show up in Japanese cuisine besides soup as well, which is why dashi is the first place I start when beginning to learn Japanese cooking.

There are different types of dashi broth, including vegetarian and even a non-cook "cheater's version." The version I am including here is the most popular dashi that can be used for almost everything. It is incredibly easy to make provided you have the time to let things sit and come back to them every once in a while.

Number One Dashi Broth (by Kimiko Barber)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 postcard-sized piece of konbu (kelp seaweed)
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 oz. dried bonito flakes (about a handful)

In a saucepan, soak the konbu in 4 cups of water for 1 hour (or at least 30 min.) before placing over a moderate heat. If the konbu has soaked for less than 1 hour, cook at a low heat instead.

Take out the konbu when it begins to float to the surface and a few small bubbles appear at the edge of the saucepan. Pour in 1/2 cup of cold water followed by the bonito flakes. Turn up the heat slightly and cook until the liquid returns to a gentle boil, but do not let it come to full boil. Turn off the heat. Let the bonito flakes settle to the bottom and then strain the broth through a fine sieve lined with a piece of paper towel.

LOCAL: Dr. Tima Root Beer and Chili Mangos

So you may have heard recently the growing exhortation to buy local. It's all the rage these days, but for good reason. Buying local products when you can is beneficial in a lot of ways:

• Fresh food is fresher
• Local products use less transportation resources, which is good for the environment, helps conserve resources, and puts less strain on the infrastructure.
  
• Very often, you can buy direct from the supplier, cutting out the middleman. This means you pay less and the person who made the product gets all the profit.
  
• It supports your community and the benefits of that will spread to the people around you, your local friends and relatives, and yourself.
  

Is it practical or even possible to buy local foods all the time? No, unfortunately, it's rather difficult, but the growing demand is good for us consumers, as stores increasingly stock local products and label local foods.

When I can, I'll try to highlight some local products I've found, and especially those I enjoy often. Here is one I've recently tried, and another product that's practically an addiction for me.



Dr. Tima's Honey Root Beer: Dr. Tima Honey Root Beer is double good for people who like to feel responsible with their purchases. Not only is this a local product, but it also helps bees. According to the box, some of the profits go to honeybee research. This is apparently made from an old European recipe and I did like that it used real herbal flavors along with the honey, unlike some root beers that just are a combo of sugar and artificial flavors.

So how was it? Well, it was good, but it didn't compare to Virgil's Root Beer which is what I usually buy. I like the balance of flavors better in Virgil's. In this one the wintergreen seemed a bit strong to me. It was still a nice refreshing drink, but I would probably choose the Virgil's, which is also a local product and therefore I don't have to feel bad about that!


Chili Mangos: Okay, I just love these. These chili covered dried mango strips are one of my favorite snacks and I have to try really hard not to burn my tongue off from eating too many at once. These particular ones shown above are the ones I like. They come from the Farm Fresh Produce stand at the Farmer's Market. I don't even know how I got the idea to try these in the first place, but I'm really glad I did. These are a dried mango strip covered in chili powder and sugar. I'm guessing that if you're a person that will like them, they are already sounding good to you; and if you're not, you are probably thinking I'm insane. But if you like spicy and sweet, and especially if you like them together, then try them! I can't pass the stand without getting them now. Just beware that they are REALLY spicy. Have a glass of milk sitting nearby.

RECIPE: Olive Oil Cookies

I have to admit, I'm not much of a sweet tooth. I will take a salty snack over a sugary dessert any day, and the only thing I usually look forward to after dinner is ice cream or gelato. That said, I love to bake and cookies are one of my favorite things to make. I'm always on the lookout for cookies that are not too much of a sweet overload, balancing the sugary with some savory.

These cookies are pretty much perfect in that regard and are going in my permanent file. They use olive oil instead of butter, which also provides the flavor, along with orange zest and hazelnuts. They come out really moist and soft and not too sweet and they go really well with a cup of hot coffee or tea. I wasn't sure how these would turn out, as baking without butter makes me nervous, but they were great and I wouldn't hesitate to make them again.

They would be nice for an afternoon party or just to keep around the house for tea time or dessert.


RECIPE (yield - about 6 dozen)
From Fine Cooking December 2008/January 2009

Ingredients:

2 cups toasted and skinned hazelnuts
10 oz. (2-1/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. table salt
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs
Finely grated zest of 2 medium oranges (about 1-1/2 packed Tbs.)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Procedure:

Finely grind the hazelnuts in a food processor. In a medium bowl, whisk the hazelnuts, flour, baking powder, and salt to blend. With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, oil, eggs, zest, and vanilla on low speed until the sugar is moistened, about 15 seconds. Increase the speed to high and mix until well combined, about 15 seconds more (the sugar will not be dissolved at this point). Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the dough has just pulled together, 30 to 60 seconds.

Divide the dough in half. Pile one half of the dough onto a piece of parchment. Using the parchment to help shape the dough, form it into a log 11 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the parchment around the log and twist the ends to secure. Repeat with the remaining dough. Chill in the freezer until firm, about 1 hour.

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line four cookie sheets with parchment or nonstick baking liners.

Unwrap one log of dough at a time and cut the dough into 1/4-inch slices; set them 1 inch apart on the prepared sheets. Bake two sheets at a time until light golden on the bottoms and around the edges, about 10 minutes, rotating and swapping the sheets halfway through for even baking. Let cool completely on racks. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

NOTE: Dough can be frozen for up to 1 month.