eG Foodblog: mkayahara (2010) - Confessions of a culinary tinker

[mkayahara]

That pork does look good! Buta-chiizu okonomiyaki is my favourite! Where do you get your pork sliced so thinly? I've only seen that kind of thinness at Japanese markets in the TO area, but I haven't seen it in Winnipeg yet.

Actually, I sliced that pork by hand myself! (Stay tuned to see what I do with the rest of the belly. I'm open to guesses.) I've thought about asking my butcher to do it for me on the slicer - since I can't talk my husband into letting me get a slicer of my own - but he never seems to be around when I pick up my pork bellies.

Have you been able to find nagaimo in your area? I've heard it's becoming easier to find in Canada, and I would definitely recommend using it rather than baking powder. The woman who taught me to make okonomiyaki said if I couldn't get nagaimo, then just leave it out. You don't want the batter to rise, the nagaimo just makes a more tender product. Your recipe is about the same as mine, except I always add instant dashi granules, and I never add additional water. It makes the batter to watery (but the nagaimo adds moisture, so if I don't have nagaimo, I guess water would be necessary). MSG is delicious!

I bought nagaimo once, from Sanko in Toronto, my go-to source for hard-to-find Japanese ingredients. I think the best way to describe the resulting okonomiyaki is "mushy". I'm sure it's something I'll try again at some point, though; I think it was just a heat control issue. When we were in Japan, it looked like some restaurants made a distinction between okonomiyaki made with and without nagaimo, but I can't remember the menu terminology just now. Is it common to find both versions?

[mkayahara]

This, folks, is the drink that started it all.

A few years ago, I was wandering through the liquor store on my lunch break (as I did, back in those days), and was seduced by the look of the Campari bottle. Only... I didn't really know what it was. So I searched on the Internet, and found this really neat site called eGullet, where people seemed to know everything about everything! After reading about the Negroni, I not only bought that bottle of Campari, I also bought my first bottle of sweet vermouth (even though I had to search all over Montreal for a half-bottle, "in case I didn't like it." Montrealers like their vermouth, and tend to buy it in litre bottles.) That, in turn, led me to the Manhattan, but the Negroni was my gateway drug to eGullet. Cheers!

[C. sapidus]

This, folks, is the drink that started it all.

Exactly what I enjoyed last night, except mine was a lazy version – simply poured over rocks. I do rather enjoy how the flavors change as the ice melts, though.

I hope to explore Japanese food some day, so I enjoyed seeing your meals today. Have you found a reasonable number and variety of weeknight-friendly Japanese meals?

One kitchen renovation tip: picture the space with nothing in it – no cabinets, no stove, no fridge, nothing. Maybe even no walls, if you find a (preferably non-supporting) wall in a troublesome area. It can be difficult to envision possibilities when all you can see are large, solid objects in the wrong locations.

Blog on! I am looking forward to the rest of your week.

[davidkeay]

The ononomiyaki looks great - This might give me the kick to actually start making it on my own! I Just need to pick up some of that pickled ginger next time I'm near my japanese market.

I was wondering about how bonito flakes work for home chefs... are they pre-shaved? I think I've seen actual bonito shaving devices in stores, but I don't think I've actually seen pieces of dried fish that weren't already in flakes.

[mkayahara]

Exactly what I enjoyed last night, except mine was a lazy version – simply poured over rocks. I do rather enjoy how the flavors change as the ice melts, though.

I've always preferred my Negronis up, though I have nothing against the rocks version. But then I lost points for trying to serve it that way on the Barsmarts Wired exam, even though the course materials clearly stated that either up or rocks were acceptable. Sigh.

I hope to explore Japanese food some day, so I enjoyed seeing your meals today. Have you found a reasonable number and variety of weeknight-friendly Japanese meals?

I'd say so, yes, though some of them are of questionable nutritional value. (Curry rice, I'm looking at you.) Probably the three most frequent quick-n-easy Japanese weeknight dishes around here are okonomiyaki, yakiudon, and curry rice. Last week, I made soy-simmered sardines, edamame, miso soup, and rice, but that definitely took advantage of the fact that I work from home, since I could sit in the kitchen with my laptop while making the dashi. (I always make dashi from scratch.)

One kitchen renovation tip: picture the space with nothing in it – no cabinets, no stove, no fridge, nothing. Maybe even no walls, if you find a (preferably non-supporting) wall in a troublesome area. It can be difficult to envision possibilities when all you can see are large, solid objects in the wrong locations.

I'll get into this in more detail once I get some photos, but I think the walls are the biggest problem: I have two long walls and two short ones; one of the short ones is dominated by a window, and there are three doorways in total between the two long walls. Arranging cabinets around doorways is going to be a challenge - unless we start moving doorways.

Here are some fridge pics! I've seen how empty some of my friends' fridges get, and I've never really understood that. My fridge goes from "moderately full" (like now) to "chock-a-block". I won't itemize everything, because there's just too much. I think it's a pretty good mix of fresh vegetables, condiments and what we tend to call "projects": What you can't see is that the jar of brandied cherries on the middle shelf is hiding four more just like it.

Fridge door:

Main fridge:

And freezer:

We also have a chest freezer in the basement for larger items. It's very useful when the upstairs one becomes dominated by cocktail glasses... which is usually the case.

[mkayahara]

The ononomiyaki looks great - This might give me the kick to actually start making it on my own! I Just need to pick up some of that pickled ginger next time I'm near my japanese market.

I was wondering about how bonito flakes work for home chefs... are they pre-shaved? I think I've seen actual bonito shaving devices in stores, but I don't think I've actually seen pieces of dried fish that weren't already in flakes.

Yes, the bonito flakes I buy are pre-shaved. I wanted - oh, how I wanted - to buy a shaving box and a few whole pieces of fish when I was in Japan, but the husband vetoed that. Something about importation concerns. I wasn't really listening to him; I was busy inhaling the wonderful aroma of the shop.

[prasantrin]

Europe's Best frozen fruit is the best!

I've never seen a differentiation between Osaka-style okonomiyaki with or without nagaimo on menus in Japan, just a Hiroshima vs Osaka-style division. The types of okonomiyaki restaurants I used to frequent were all Osaka-style, though, so they never had Hiroshima-style on their menus.

You could have brought the dried bonito. Most fish for personal consumption is OK to bring to Canada. I use CFIA's AIRS to check what I can and can't bring back. No nagaimo (unless I sneak it in), but I'm bringing back some mikan in December!

Did you slice the pork while it was still a little frozen, or was it fresh/thawed? I have a long gyuto in storage that I could break out for tasks like that. If only I had the confidence!

[mkayahara]

Europe's Best frozen fruit is the best!

My favourite part on this bag of Europe's Best frozen blueberries is where it says "Product of Canada" on the back.

Did you slice the pork while it was still a little frozen, or was it fresh/thawed? I have a long gyuto in storage that I could break out for tasks like that. If only I had the confidence!

It was still slightly icy from the freezer, though I'd been thawing it for more than 24 hours. I run my fridge pretty cold, so it usually takes at least two days to thaw anything big. Having it be that cold certainly does help with the slicing. The last time I made bacon, I sliced it while still warm, which went OK - but then I vacuum-sealed it while still warm, too. That was a big, big mistake. The slices all stick to each other.

Early lunch today, but nothing special: just an egg salad sandwich, with some tomatoes I dried in my dehydrator earlier in the fall, served with some Zuni Café zucchini pickles. The zucchini were from our garden. These pickles are great!

I need help with dinner, though. This is what I'm making:

Let me explain: Every fall, I read this book; it's a childhood favourite. If you're not familiar with it, it's about a young boy and his father, who poaches pheasants. And every year, I think to myself that it's a travesty that I've never cooked a pheasant! So I set out to rectify this.

I have, in my fridge, one pheasant, which I plan to make into my dinner tonight. Any advice on how to cook it? A high-heat roast like chicken? Is barding necessary? Anything else I need to know?

[Peter the eater]

Europe's Best frozen fruit is the best!

My favourite part on this bag of Europe's Best frozen blueberries is where it says "Product of Canada" on the back.

Don't get me started.

[heidih]

I like the yearly reading of the childhood favorite. I only did pheasant once, years ago, and cooked it in the fashion of coq au vin. It was good as I recall, but I do not know if I brought out its best features since I was so unfamiliar with it.

[MelissaH]

I need help with dinner, though. This is what I'm making:

Let me explain: Every fall, I read this book; it's a childhood favourite. If you're not familiar with it, it's about a young boy and his father, who poaches pheasants. And every year, I think to myself that it's a travesty that I've never cooked a pheasant! So I set out to rectify this.

I have, in my fridge, one pheasant, which I plan to make into my dinner tonight. Any advice on how to cook it? A high-heat roast like chicken? Is barding necessary? Anything else I need to know?

With raisins, and sleeping pills? <ducking and running>

MelissaH

[ruthcooks]

If the pheasant is older, and therefore tougher, a liberal dose of sour cream is in order.

[mkayahara]

Uh... so that didn't go exactly as planned. I ended up roasting the pheasant at 350F, and it took forever to be done. ("Done" being defined as "juices from the thigh running clear.") By then, of course, the breast was overcooked and dry. Not exactly the results I was hoping for from my first pheasant!

That said, apart from the dryness (and sauce covers a multitude of sins), the flavour was excellent: good enough that I would buy another one to try again. I served it with parsnip puree; brussels sprouts that were blanched, shocked, and sauteed in bacon fat; and a makeshift sauce chasseur.

Maybe next time, I'll butcher it raw and cook the parts sous vide.

[caroled]

Are you going to cook that delicata squash this week???

I love them , but tend to do the same thing over and over with all my winter squashes.I need some new ideas!

[mkayahara]

Are you going to cook that delicata squash this week???

I love them , but tend to do the same thing over and over with all my winter squashes.I need some new ideas!

I certainly could! I love delicata squash both for the flavour and the size. It's perfect for the two of us. How do you normally cook squash? With delicata, I usually roast them stuffed.

Look what just landed in my mailbox:

I had preordered this one, so I don't know why it took two weeks to get here. But I'm looking forward to reading it. I made punch for the first time last year, for our annual Christmas party, and it went over very well, so we're going to do it again this year.

Not a lot of cooking around here today. I'm working toward a deadline tomorrow morning, and have the gym this afternoon. Oatmeal for breakfast, another egg salad sandwich for lunch. I'm thinking pizza for dinner...

[Pam R]

I'm thinking pizza for dinner...

Home made? Do you eat out much or do you cook most meals?

Edited November 17, 2010 by Pam R (log)

[Snadra]

I need help with dinner, though. This is what I'm making:

Let me explain: Every fall, I read this book; it's a childhood favourite. If you're not familiar with it, it's about a young boy and his father, who poaches pheasants. And every year, I think to myself that it's a travesty that I've never cooked a pheasant! So I set out to rectify this.

I have, in my fridge, one pheasant, which I plan to make into my dinner tonight. Any advice on how to cook it? A high-heat roast like chicken? Is barding necessary? Anything else I need to know?

With raisins, and sleeping pills? <ducking and running>

MelissaH

That was my first thought too!

I'm loving your blog - looking forward to seeing how you do pizza!

[mkayahara]

Home made? Do you eat out much or do you cook most meals?

Yes, the pizza was homemade! I cook almost all of our meals. For the most part, when we eat out, it's destination dining, and it's almost never in Guelph. For example, we had dinner at Langdon Hall last week. Imagine this: On the San Pellegrino World's 100 Best Restaurants list, one of the only two Canadian representatives (#77) is half an hour away from my front door. And based on my experience there, it's with good reason that it's on that list. I can talk about our dinner there more, if people like.

Anyway, dinner tonight. I know you all know what this is!

No, I did not cook my pizza sous vide. I had some leftover feta cheese from last week, so I decided to make the pizza with one of my favourite sets of toppings: feta, chicken, and pesto. In the past, I've had trouble cooking the chicken to the point that it was fully cooked before going on the pizza, but wouldn't dry out in the oven. So I decided to try cooking it sous vide to top the pizza. From frozen, I gave it 1 hour 15 minutes at 146F. It still came out a little overdone on the pizza, so next time I might try cooking it at 141F.

For me, homemade pizza is a convenience food (good for gym days), so I don't really fuss over the dough; I am far from a distinguished bread baker. I still use the recipe I learned in grade 8 home economics: 2 cups of bread flour, 1.5 teaspoons of instant yeast, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, a cup of water and a tablespoon of olive oil. I mix it all in the stand mixer, then let it rise while preheating the oven to 500F. I spread it out with my hands, put it on my wooden peel, top it and slide it on to the baking stone. After 12 minutes, it's done.

With it, we drank the rest of the bottle of wine from last night (which I neglected to mention at the time): 2008 "Dolomite" Pinot Noir from Cave Spring, one of my favourite wineries in the Niagara region. I've enjoyed every one of their wines I've had, except for one. They're especially well known for their Rieslings, which are fantastic. Which reminds me, I should pick up a bottle...

[Kim Shook]

Matthew – Mr. Kim and I really loved the look of the okonomiyaki. I am going to write that one down and take it to our favorite Japanese restaurant and see if they make it. I love when folks know exactly how they got to eG. I remember watching the Chowhound.com feud between Jason and Jim and following Jason over here. I lurked for a LONG time before finally succumbing to the charm of folks like racheld and the dinner thread and the wonderful (welcome back!!) food blogs! That is a beautiful delicata squash peeping through your veg drawer. What are you going to do with that – I have its twin and haven’t decided yet.

[mkayahara]

Kim, I'll be cooking the squash for dinner tonight. Not completely sure how I'm going to do it, but I've got an idea...

I was just feeling a little peckish, so I decided to whip up some hummus for myself. I've started keeping all the ingredients on hand so I can make it at a moment's notice. Unfortunately, as I was sprinkling in the cumin, the lid came off the jar. Whoosh! Big pile o' cumin in the food processor. I managed to scoop most of it out, luckily. I hate it when that happens.

[Pam R]

Imagine this: On the San Pellegrino World's 100 Best Restaurants list, one of the only two Canadian representatives (#77) is half an hour away from my front door. And based on my experience there, it's with good reason that it's on that list. I can talk about our dinner there more, if people like.

Please do.

[nakji]

I made some squash last night and I used a recipe I came up with when I was in Japan. You can either steam the squash (for health) in chunks, or roast it tossed with sesame oil and salt. Then, when it's soft, mash it up adding a tablespoon of good miso, a tablespoon of butter, fresh ground pepper and a grating of fresh Parmesan to taste.

[Kouign Aman]

And yet another food blogger has the same fridge I do.

What is it about that fridge that gets it into so many kitchens?

The food looks fun and good, and I'm enjoying your writing style.

[mkayahara]

Tonight's dinner (by popular request ) involved the delicata squash that had been in my fridge. I made a stuffing by drying out some pieces of bread in the oven, and mixing them with olive oil, salt, grappa-soaked raisins and chopped filberts. Stuffed the halved squash and roasted it in a moderate oven for an hour. After the first half hour, the tops were looking a little too brown, so I covered them with foil. Just before serving, I sprinkled them with some grated pecorino romano and let it melt in the oven. It was delicious!

I also served some pork tenderloin that I seasoned and sprinkled with pimenton, then cooked sous vide at 131F for a little over two hours, based on Douglas Baldwin's charts. I seared it in a cast-iron pan to finish. In the past, I haven't been pleased with pork done sous vide, but this was absolutely fantastic! 131 is definitely the right temperature for pork. Braised cabbage flavoured with a little nutmeg went alongside. One of the problem I'm finding with sous vide cooking is that I don't find sauce-making to be as instinctive as it is with pan sauces, so I didn't serve any. I think the plate looks naked without it, though!

[mkayahara]

I made some squash last night and I used a recipe I came up with when I was in Japan. You can either steam the squash (for health) in chunks, or roast it tossed with sesame oil and salt. Then, when it's soft, mash it up adding a tablespoon of good miso, a tablespoon of butter, fresh ground pepper and a grating of fresh Parmesan to taste.

That sounds good; I'll have to try that next time I have squash! I imagine miso and butter would be great with squash. Any particular type of miso? I'm assuming white?

And yet another food blogger has the same fridge I do.

What is it about that fridge that gets it into so many kitchens?

The food looks fun and good, and I'm enjoying your writing style.

Thanks! The fridge was here when we bought the house, but I have no complaints about it. It's big enough for even my needs... most of the time.

Imagine this: On the San Pellegrino World's 100 Best Restaurants list, one of the only two Canadian representatives (#77) is half an hour away from my front door. And based on my experience there, it's with good reason that it's on that list. I can talk about our dinner there more, if people like.

Please do.

OK, Landon Hall. I've been meaning to go here for dinner ever since I moved to Guelph three years ago, but it's taken some time to make it happen. Seeing it on the San Pellegrino list was the catalyst. The property - what we could see of it, given how early the sun sets these days - looks beautiful, as befits a Relais & Châteaux property. The service was exactly what how I like it: attentive, but friendly.

We opted for the tasting menu, with wine pairings. Here's what we ate:

The amuse-bouche was a quenelle of rosemary lamb rillettes with piquillo puree and walnut crumbs. The piquillo puree kept the lamb from being too rich, and the bold flavours got our mouths watering.

First course was crushed mussels (with, I think, Meyer lemon), Northern shrimp and watercress puree, horseradish cream and beet puree (smeared across the plate to look like an Italian flag). The flavours were great, but the I thought the watercress puree could have been a little smoother.

Second course was a "risotto" of cuttlefish and kohlrabi, boneless chicken wing, parsley chips and toast crumbs. Weirdly, there was something about the flavours here that reminded me of Canadian Chinese food, but in a good, comforting way... I wouldn't be surprised to learn that there was oyster sauce involved somewhere.

Third course was seared duck breast, sous vide foie gras, brandade and pickled vegetables. The duck breast had the most incredible depth of flavour, and the wine pairing with Astrolabe pinot noir was absolutely perfect.

Fourth course was braised lentils, house-cured pork belly, and braised lettuce, with a port reduction sauce. Very rich, and absolutely delicious.

They sent out an extra of sea-buckthorn sorbet, which I can't help but read as a nod to René Redzepi. Reading through the Noma cookbook, I honestly thought I'd never have the opportunity to taste sea-buckthorn, so right away that made the dish special for me. The fact that it was delicious made it that much better! (For the record, it does taste rather like passion fruit.)

And then dessert was carrot cake, carrot cake ice cream, sous vide carrots with orange juice, and carrot top gelée. The gelée was incredible, adding just the right note of bitterness to the dish.