http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php en mjd-s@souzouzone.jp Copyright 2010 2010-06-01T15:39:24+00:00 http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/lemon_and_dill_jelly/ http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/lemon_and_dill_jelly/#When:15:39:24Z The trick with these is getting the flavour combo right and knowing the gelatine you are working with. Ingredients gelatine (powder or leaves - whichever you prefer) dashi/fish broth lemon juice fresh dill, roughly chopped Method First off you want to decide how much you are making. The powdered gelatine I use is about one sachet to 250 CC of liquid - and it’s easy to double the liquid and the gelatine. Molds - I like to use my little glass bowls I got from the 100 yen store - but plastic cups will also work. Making the fish broth - into a saucepan of boiling water I add dried katsuobushi and boil it for a little while, then strain the flakes. This is a pretty standard way to make dashi - the base of lots of Japanese dishes (ie miso soup). Then I mix lemon juice into the slightly cooled dashi. Then I add the gelatine to 250 cc of the lemon dashi mix and mix until it’s dissolved. Divide the liquid among your molds and then tuck the fresh dill into it. Place in fridge to set. To help free the jelly before serving you can place briefly into a warm bath or just roll under a running warm tap. Too long though and it will melt! I also like to garnish with a piece of fresh herb too. 2010-06-01T15:39:24+00:00 http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/roasted_red_capsicum_hummus/ http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/roasted_red_capsicum_hummus/#When:13:25:58Z I thought I had posted this recipe from Pinch My Salt before - but after making this for Tracey the other week it appears I hadn’t…. not that I should be surprised as there hasn’t been much time for blogging at all! So here is my version with notes especially applicable to recreating this in Japan! Ingredients 1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (The Meat Guy has the best deals on these - but your local supermarket should have) 1 red bell capsicum, roasted, peeled and seeded (that’s peppers to you Yanks) 1 tablespoon chopped red onion 1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed (or the ol’ handy tube of minced niniku!) 1 tablespoon tahini (ah… this oddly enough can be tricky to find! This kuki brand neri goma (white) is a pretty good alternative and more importantly not a sweet sesame spread!) juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon honey (I use Maple Syrup because infants shouldn’t have honey - and EM loves this stuff) 1/2 teaspoon sriracha (This can be found at Kaldi Coffee Farm or their online store and I see they just got the Super Hot and Super Garlic types now too!) scant 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 – 1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste) Method First some tips on roasting the capsicum Food & Drink 2010-04-13T13:25:58+00:00 http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/spinach_rice_croquettes/ http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/spinach_rice_croquettes/#When:03:48:56Z Naked balls, waiting for coats. Lined up waiting for a hot oil bath. Crispy brown skins on the outside, melty soft mozzarella yum on the inside. With a creamy tomato sauce. Delicious! Another pretty straightforward recipe that’s very adaptable. Also handy for using up leftover rice. Ingredients 2 cups cooked rice (or however much you have left over) spinach, wilted and chopped into small pieces egg, beaten panko (Japanese bread crumbs) an assortment of spices to your liking plain flour mozzarella cheese (chopped into small pieces) - Optional Method Mix the rice and spinach together in a bowl. Next is the secret have a bowl of water next to you. The trick to forming and shaping these without ending up a total mess is to keep your hands dripping wet throughout the ball rolling process. I usually dip into the water bowl before rolling each one. Do not be tempted to wipe! With these dripping paws, grab a handful of the rice spinach mix and form into a ball. Poke some pieces of mozzarella cheese into the middle and reform. Set aside until all of the rice is used up. In another bowl mix together equal parts of flour and panko, and the dried herbs. Next to it put your bowl of beaten egg. Then it’s just a production line of dipping the balls into the egg mix and rolling around, then putting into the panko mix and rolling around. Pat and reform each ball before placing in a tray. When all the balls have been egged and coated put your tray in the fridge for at least 4 hours. I like to prepare one day and cook the next because it means the croquettes keep their shape really well. After they have chilled out, fry in hot oil (I usually use canola or peanut oil to a depth of halfway the size of the ball and flip them over). Make sure the oil is nice and hot before putting them in! Obviously don’t use your finger to do that…. if the oil is too cold you don’t get crisp you get greasy. You don’t want greasy. These can be put in bento or served warm with a sauce. A tomato cream sauce goes particularly well! They freeze OK too. Food & Drink 2010-04-08T03:48:56+00:00 http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/quake_508_pm/ http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/quake_508_pm/#When:08:17:26Z 5 in Fukushima. 3 across Tokyo, Chiba & Kanagawa. No tsunami warning. Earthquake Reports 2010-03-14T08:17:26+00:00 http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/edamame_tofu_dip/ http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/edamame_tofu_dip/#When:11:06:28Z Based on this recipe from the food network (except I refuse to call it hummus as there are no chickpeas involved!). Ingredients: 400 gm pack of frozen edamame (unshelled) Small pack of silken tofu ½ teaspoon salt ¼ cup of olive oil decent whack of minced garlic (3 cloves) ⅓ cup mixed lemon and lime juices 1½ teaspoons ground cumin Method Either nuke in a microwave or boil the edamame until they are defrosted (see instructions on pack). If using fresh, boil them for at least 5 minutes. Turn the telly on and shell the buggers. This is the boring bit. Try not to eat too many during this stage. Put everything in a blender or food processor and process until you get a slightly textured dip. That’s it! I prefer to use a mix of lemon and lime juices - but just lemon can be used. Just lime juice is OK too but not as good as a blend. Adjust the amount of tofu to get the consistency you like. Generally a 200 gm pack works well with a 400 gm pack of frozen edamame. Don’t buy the firm tofu! Only siiiiiiilky! Food & Drink 2010-02-24T11:06:28+00:00 http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/quake_459_am/ http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/quake_459_am/#When:12:04:16Z Well that was an early wake up call. 3 across Chiba, Tokyo and Kanagawa. Epicenter was in Chiba. No tsunami warning. 2010-02-16T12:04:16+00:00 http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/potato_and_chive_croquettes/ http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/potato_and_chive_croquettes/#When:13:56:24Z I made 3 different dishes for bento prep at the same time - these, crab croquettes and karage (fried chicken pieces) - seems that that these are the ones people are most keen to find out about. To be honest the crab ones are the same but I molded them in a different shape - oh and of course they have crab in them. The fried chicken is worth a blog entry of it’s own so I won’t go into details here - but at the crumbing step I used the leftover herbs and spices and flour from breading the chicken so it might be good to make a mix of your fav herbs and spices and some flour and mix in the panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) with them. Although these look like a huge drama to make - they really aren’t, but I would recommend doing them over a day or night for the crucial step - the more chilled these are before frying the better they hold together and keep their shape. And let’s face it crumbling croquettes aren’t half as yummy are they? Ingredients Potatoes (suitable for mashing) Chives Cream Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) Eggs (1-2) Herbs and Spices All Purpose Flour There really aren’t any measurements - it depends on how many you are wanting to make. The important thing is how things look and feel. Peel and boil, or boil and then peel your potatoes in salted water. You don’t want skins in these. Drain. Mash the potatoes but don’t add in extra liquid at this point. When they are good and mashed add in cream gradually. I like to whisk the cream in to make it creamy. You want creamy but not sloppy. Chop fresh chives quite finely - mix into the potatoes. Go do something else - you want this to cool down as it’s much easier to shape when cold. Also less chance of burned fingers. Mix up the panko, a couple of tablespoons of flour and the herbs and spices. In a separate bowl beat an egg. Grab about a tablespoon of potato and mold it into the shape you want. I rolled these into a short cylindrical shape. Using large cooking chopsticks (you could use tongs or whatever you prefer - I just cook with chopsticks a lot) gently roll into the egg, then into the breading mix. Then re-mold the croquette into the shape again and put it to rest on a tray. When you are done put your tray into the fridge for several hours. We want these little suckers nice and firm. Then you need a big frypan and some oil. I prefer to fill with enough to cover half the croquettes and then turn them over. Fry until they are golden brown and then drain them. I made a big batch for bento preparation so these were put in the freezer after they cooled. You can of course serve immediately, or keep in the fridge and reheat later of course. They keep their shape pretty well. Food & Drink 2010-01-18T13:56:24+00:00 http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/ebina_light_experiments/ http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/ebina_light_experiments/#When:01:28:22Z The actual light display at the Ebina Walk shopping area was actually quite dull. Photography 2009-12-24T01:28:22+00:00 http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/quake_845_am/ http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/quake_845_am/#When:23:51:12Z Weak 5 in Shizuoka, 3 in Kanagawa. No tsunami warning. Aaaaaand we went back to Shizuoka for that one! Earthquake Reports 2009-12-17T23:51:12+00:00 http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/quake_541_am/ http://www.cerebralsoup.net/index.php/cerebralsoup/pages/quake_541_am/#When:20:48:35Z 4 in Tochigi and Ibaraki, and parts of Saitama. 3 in Tokyo, Chiba and Kanagawa. No tsunami warning. That was a pretty shaky one for a 3. Woke me right up! Thought it was the hot spot in Shizuoka going off again - surprised to see it was in Tochigi. Earthquake Reports 2009-12-17T20:48:35+00:00