I have a lot of friends ask me about Japanese food; and to be frank --- most people only know Japanese food as sushi, tempura, and maybe teriyaki chicken.
For example, my friend asked me my favorite local Japanese restaurant. I say Sushi Ro****. And he replies, oh, their sushi rolls were okay... AH! Did you even see the other 70% of the menu? All of the fried, grilled, steamed dishes? The robata-yaki menu?? What about just good ol' ankimo (あんきも monk fish liver pate) with a nice glass of cold beer??
So, since I do have a passion for food, I would like to start a list of "authentic" foods to try in Japan. I put quotes around authentic because, well, what is really authentic? Great Japanese cuisine can actually be what we called "fusion" food. Some creative Japanese chefs can be experimenting with the traditional, and I still think that can be considered "authentic" because its heart and its creators are rooted in tastes of Japan and you know what, it tastes good. So... what I guess I won't call "authentic" is a sweet sticky, thigh fillet "teriyaki chicken" with a boob-shaped mold of rice (that's not even cooked in the teriyaki way! teriyaki, btw, is more of a style of grilling food over charcoal and basting it constantly with gooey and flavorful sauce that a restaurant will spend years mastering and developing. grilling of kabob-ed food is just referred to as robata-yaki)
List of foods to try: Part 1
Salty-and-Flavorful Rich
1) Ramen（ラーメン）. Of course. Most people know what Ramen is. But I'm not talking about the instant maru-chan crap that's sold in grocery stores here. Small hole in the walls can be some of the greatest. Just find somewhere you see a bunch of Japanese people. Really. All Japanese menu probably is a good thing too. Just point and smile and eat whatever comes out. I can guarantee it'll taste great.
1.1) Tsuke-men (ツケメン). I had this at 2am with my boyfriend after a whole night of drinking in celebration of a good friend's wedding. Let me tell you, whatever late-night drunk food the US has, it can't beat this. It's noodles with a hot dipping saucy soup. But so much more. The noodle of thicker and chewy. The dipping soup is thicker than just broth... and has this delicious Chinese/Japanese flavor... and the soup tastes like it's been cooking and perfecting for days.
2) Motsu-nabe （もつ鍋）Now this will take some research to find a restaurant that serves this delicious dish. Last winter, I had dinner at one very popular motsu-nabe restaurant near Ebisu. It was.... incredible. So amazingly good. Nabe is hot-pot. Motsu is, well, intestines. BUT don't let that gross you out! It's actually flavorful, chewy but tender, and the hot-pot broth/soup they make for it is so rich and beautiful. Don't forget to finish the meal with either rice or udon cooked in the hot-pot broth that become even richer in flavor with the motsu/other vegetables you've cooked in it.
3) Monja-yaki (もんじゃ焼き）Ohhh my uncle introduced me to this dish. It's basically a rendition of Okonomi-yaki (what I've heard English speakers call the pizza of Japan. Not really but okay). But anyways, okonomi-yaki style varies all over the country and every household has a unique way of making it... so I'm not going to talk much about it... Basically think of it like a pancake bound with a type of flour and cabbage usually, filled with whatever-you-want-to-eat. Monja is basically a more gooey form of it. You eat it with this mini-shovel-like spoons. It's cooked over a teppan, and you do it yourself too. I guess it's the melting but mochi-type quality of it that I love.
I would love to post pictures from actual Japanese sites/bloggers... but with the current blogger set-up, I can't just put pictures from other sites directly onto blogger (even if I display the link the follow! Grr. I have to add it into my picasa or something. A bit inconvenient)
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Listen to the Body
Listen: It can tell us many things if we just pay attention to its whisper. Listen: Because by the time our body is yelling at us, it may be too late.
As I grow older, I know that I will witness the passing of many close and loved ones. I am afraid, although I know it is inevitable.
Yesterday, my boyfriend's young friend passed away of lung cancer at the blossoming age of 32. He was married, has a 1 year old baby boy, healthy and fit as can be. Thirty Two Years Old. Far too young... Do the good really have to die young?
My boyfriend met up with him a month or 2 ago as this friend was in TX for a business trip. He said that the friend seemed fine, but he did ask my boyfriend how his health was. My boyfriend laughed saying, everything is good, just getting older and fatter. The friend, however, said that his lower back has been really aching lately. In early May, he finally went to the doctor and they diagnosed him with metastatic end-stage lung cancer. He died only a few weeks later, complete shocking everyone. Even a mere 4-5 days before his death, he was eating home-made food from friends, saying how delicious it was. Just a week before his death, he was writing to people that although the treatment is aggressive, draining, and sometimes painful, he is feeling better and feels physically and mentally ready for a full-blown chemo or radiation therapy. And then he just... dies. At 32.
Listen to your body... At 32, so young and fit... a chronic back ache that seems strange and misplaced really might be your body telling you "something is wrong! get it checked out!" Just make a quick appointment to a family doctor... go to a screening. If you can, just order some X-rays. Really, not as expensive as MRIs or CTs or PET scans. I would much rather be labeled a hypochondriac then to realize a disease too late.
My mother also told me that her lab member came to her this past week, saying that he has stage 4 renal cell carcinoma. Prognosis... I don't know... But the tumors on his kidneys are large. My mother cried and cried and cried. She noticed that he had been losing weight lately, and her co-worker just said, yea! I've been working out every Thursday after work, and I feel great afterwards. But think about it! Working out one day a week can't lead to noticeable weight loss... That was probably another big sign the body was trying to shout out.
As I grow older, I know that I will witness the passing of many close and loved ones. I am afraid, although I know it is inevitable.
Yesterday, my boyfriend's young friend passed away of lung cancer at the blossoming age of 32. He was married, has a 1 year old baby boy, healthy and fit as can be. Thirty Two Years Old. Far too young... Do the good really have to die young?
My boyfriend met up with him a month or 2 ago as this friend was in TX for a business trip. He said that the friend seemed fine, but he did ask my boyfriend how his health was. My boyfriend laughed saying, everything is good, just getting older and fatter. The friend, however, said that his lower back has been really aching lately. In early May, he finally went to the doctor and they diagnosed him with metastatic end-stage lung cancer. He died only a few weeks later, complete shocking everyone. Even a mere 4-5 days before his death, he was eating home-made food from friends, saying how delicious it was. Just a week before his death, he was writing to people that although the treatment is aggressive, draining, and sometimes painful, he is feeling better and feels physically and mentally ready for a full-blown chemo or radiation therapy. And then he just... dies. At 32.
Listen to your body... At 32, so young and fit... a chronic back ache that seems strange and misplaced really might be your body telling you "something is wrong! get it checked out!" Just make a quick appointment to a family doctor... go to a screening. If you can, just order some X-rays. Really, not as expensive as MRIs or CTs or PET scans. I would much rather be labeled a hypochondriac then to realize a disease too late.
My mother also told me that her lab member came to her this past week, saying that he has stage 4 renal cell carcinoma. Prognosis... I don't know... But the tumors on his kidneys are large. My mother cried and cried and cried. She noticed that he had been losing weight lately, and her co-worker just said, yea! I've been working out every Thursday after work, and I feel great afterwards. But think about it! Working out one day a week can't lead to noticeable weight loss... That was probably another big sign the body was trying to shout out.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Cancer Screening
There was a free melanoma screening event going on at several of the local hospitals/clinics today, so I took my boyfriend there. He has many many moles all over his body, and although he is Asian, that isn't an automatic guaranteed protection from skin cancer. These screenings are free and there for many good reasons with good intent, so why not use the available resources?
First, I had the doctor check his back, which has a light colored but large mole which the doctor said is probably is a birth mark and nothing to worry about. Although the shape is large and irregular, the mole itself is even in tone and very light. He has other darker spots around his back that he should stay aware of but are too small for any kind of intervention at the moment.
I then asked the physician to check his legs, which do have darker spots/moles. Indeed, he pointed to a few more which were a little darker and bigger and requires attention to make sure they don't get bigger or change in any way.
Then, he found a lesion in the lateral portion of his calf. I knew he had that mole/moles - I called it the triangle of moles and jokingly told my bf that I will use that mark to identify his body if his face had become too damaged. I honestly thought it was a clump of three moles that were close together, and my bf said he thinks he's had for quite a while. So I wasn't too worried. The doctor, however, did say that was very abnormal and needed to be removed and biopsied immediately - within a week. My gut says that it's benign because it's been there fore the 2 years that I've dated him and I don't think it's changed in the 2 years I've been with him either.
We'll set up an appointment this week to get the lesion excised.
But the lesson is - free screenings are such great events. Everyone should take advantage of them. They're preventative and can catch diseases which have great prognosis with early intervention. People may scorn and say - oh hyperchondriacs - but really, better safe than sorry. This is a perfectly rational and reasonable way to ease any anxiety and make sure your health is at its best. Nothing is lost at all. What is truly ridiculous is to freak out and pile up with worries and pay hundreds of dollars to see physician after physician for expensive diagnostics... when quick screenings are free. Even a quick trip to the family doctor is relatively cheap with insurance. And, what is truly sad, is to notice something about your body that doesn't seem right then NOT do anything about it... until it's really too late.
Life is too short.. take small preventative measures early on and prevent major damage and pain later on.
First, I had the doctor check his back, which has a light colored but large mole which the doctor said is probably is a birth mark and nothing to worry about. Although the shape is large and irregular, the mole itself is even in tone and very light. He has other darker spots around his back that he should stay aware of but are too small for any kind of intervention at the moment.
I then asked the physician to check his legs, which do have darker spots/moles. Indeed, he pointed to a few more which were a little darker and bigger and requires attention to make sure they don't get bigger or change in any way.
Then, he found a lesion in the lateral portion of his calf. I knew he had that mole/moles - I called it the triangle of moles and jokingly told my bf that I will use that mark to identify his body if his face had become too damaged. I honestly thought it was a clump of three moles that were close together, and my bf said he thinks he's had for quite a while. So I wasn't too worried. The doctor, however, did say that was very abnormal and needed to be removed and biopsied immediately - within a week. My gut says that it's benign because it's been there fore the 2 years that I've dated him and I don't think it's changed in the 2 years I've been with him either.
We'll set up an appointment this week to get the lesion excised.
But the lesson is - free screenings are such great events. Everyone should take advantage of them. They're preventative and can catch diseases which have great prognosis with early intervention. People may scorn and say - oh hyperchondriacs - but really, better safe than sorry. This is a perfectly rational and reasonable way to ease any anxiety and make sure your health is at its best. Nothing is lost at all. What is truly ridiculous is to freak out and pile up with worries and pay hundreds of dollars to see physician after physician for expensive diagnostics... when quick screenings are free. Even a quick trip to the family doctor is relatively cheap with insurance. And, what is truly sad, is to notice something about your body that doesn't seem right then NOT do anything about it... until it's really too late.
Life is too short.. take small preventative measures early on and prevent major damage and pain later on.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Hospital Visit
For our last college mentor session, Dr. Cx took us to Parkland to meet with a patient and also get practice hearing various diastolic and systolic heart murmurs.
Regarding the latter, I am still extremely bad at detecting the murmurs. I have no idea what I'm looking for and where I am looking for it. But, Dr. Cx said that he was a junior resident before he could hear some of the murmurs. But once you hear it once, you will always be able to hear it. That is reassuring.
The more moving part of the day was our talk with our patient. She is a 25 year old woman battling stage 4 breast cancer that has metastasized all over her body... 25 years old.
She said that she felt a lump on her breast around 18-19 but didn't really do anything about it. However, around 24 years old, she said she couldn't eat anymore because of nausea and pain, lost about 60 lbs. The doctors originally said she had gastroentitis... the horrible thing is, they felt a lump on her breast and took an X-Ray, but she never got the results back. She's currently in a little law suit but that is absolutely terrible. The neglect and mistake of not even looking at an X-Ray result probably cost the patient her life... or severely shortened it. When they finally diagnosed her with cancer, she was already stage 4. The amazing thing is, however, it's been 14 months since her diagnosis. She has gone through bouts of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and though she never feels 100% well or herself, she still is trying to live life normally. That's absolutely amazing..
But god... 25 years old. That is way too young. way way way too young.
Regarding the latter, I am still extremely bad at detecting the murmurs. I have no idea what I'm looking for and where I am looking for it. But, Dr. Cx said that he was a junior resident before he could hear some of the murmurs. But once you hear it once, you will always be able to hear it. That is reassuring.
The more moving part of the day was our talk with our patient. She is a 25 year old woman battling stage 4 breast cancer that has metastasized all over her body... 25 years old.
She said that she felt a lump on her breast around 18-19 but didn't really do anything about it. However, around 24 years old, she said she couldn't eat anymore because of nausea and pain, lost about 60 lbs. The doctors originally said she had gastroentitis... the horrible thing is, they felt a lump on her breast and took an X-Ray, but she never got the results back. She's currently in a little law suit but that is absolutely terrible. The neglect and mistake of not even looking at an X-Ray result probably cost the patient her life... or severely shortened it. When they finally diagnosed her with cancer, she was already stage 4. The amazing thing is, however, it's been 14 months since her diagnosis. She has gone through bouts of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and though she never feels 100% well or herself, she still is trying to live life normally. That's absolutely amazing..
But god... 25 years old. That is way too young. way way way too young.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Deep Asian Flavors (without the calories!)
We all know about the obesity epidemic in the US.
I think it's a huge problem - no doubt. The rising cost of healthcare, the rising death toll... a lot of it because of the poor eating and active habits of this culture. I mean, take say Paula Deen and her cooking which represents southern cooking. Hello! No wonder there's such a huge obese population in the south!
But the thing is, food is a wonderful thing. Really. It draws people, friends and families, together. It nourishes. It energizes. It comforts. And it's beautiful - captivates all of the senses. Seriously - sight, taste, touch, hearing, smell... what is not excited by food and cooking? Walking into a room filled with the aroma of a childhood favorite... hearing the searing or simmering of dinner...
I really think it's the presentation and structure of food consumption that needs to be changed... now, what I exactly mean by that, I'll save for another post.
Right now, I want to talk about my stocks. I think more people really need to try this out. It is so so easy... and the rewards are so great, hardly any consequences!
Steps:
Chop up some garlic, ginger, onions/scallions - or whatever you have, actually!
Buy some cheap cuts of boned meat (neck... feet... whatever!! cheaper the better!!)
Throw it all in a slow cooker and press "ON"
Leave it alone and go about your day. Don't eeeeven worry about it.
At the end of the day, just dump the content through a sieve and into a tupper ware. This is probably the most time-consuming part, if you consider it time-consuming.
Put the stock in the fridge overnight.
The next day, you'll see that the fat has risen to the top and solidified.
Just get rid of that fat!! Low-fat, No fat! Immediate lift of guilt and calories! Plus - all of the delicious flavors are in the gelatinous bottom layer, full of collagen and flavor.
Now, whenever you're cooking a soup or sautee or stirfry, just boil down that stock and i am telling you - you will get extremely meaty and deep flavors. Like you got the dish at a street market in a small Asian town. But this time, you KNOW that animal fat - which is often the most problematic part about animal meat - has been removed.
Please, try my stock method. You will be amazed.
I think it's a huge problem - no doubt. The rising cost of healthcare, the rising death toll... a lot of it because of the poor eating and active habits of this culture. I mean, take say Paula Deen and her cooking which represents southern cooking. Hello! No wonder there's such a huge obese population in the south!
But the thing is, food is a wonderful thing. Really. It draws people, friends and families, together. It nourishes. It energizes. It comforts. And it's beautiful - captivates all of the senses. Seriously - sight, taste, touch, hearing, smell... what is not excited by food and cooking? Walking into a room filled with the aroma of a childhood favorite... hearing the searing or simmering of dinner...
I really think it's the presentation and structure of food consumption that needs to be changed... now, what I exactly mean by that, I'll save for another post.
Right now, I want to talk about my stocks. I think more people really need to try this out. It is so so easy... and the rewards are so great, hardly any consequences!
Steps:
Chop up some garlic, ginger, onions/scallions - or whatever you have, actually!
Buy some cheap cuts of boned meat (neck... feet... whatever!! cheaper the better!!)
Throw it all in a slow cooker and press "ON"
Leave it alone and go about your day. Don't eeeeven worry about it.
At the end of the day, just dump the content through a sieve and into a tupper ware. This is probably the most time-consuming part, if you consider it time-consuming.
Put the stock in the fridge overnight.
The next day, you'll see that the fat has risen to the top and solidified.
Just get rid of that fat!! Low-fat, No fat! Immediate lift of guilt and calories! Plus - all of the delicious flavors are in the gelatinous bottom layer, full of collagen and flavor.
Now, whenever you're cooking a soup or sautee or stirfry, just boil down that stock and i am telling you - you will get extremely meaty and deep flavors. Like you got the dish at a street market in a small Asian town. But this time, you KNOW that animal fat - which is often the most problematic part about animal meat - has been removed.
Please, try my stock method. You will be amazed.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Crazy Dinner Series
I've had several of these crazy dinner series... where I spend 3-4 hours making a full course menu of things for the BF.
Yesterday, I made him a flavorful dinner series inspired by Asian and SE Asian flavors in celebration of the end of his Master's Program year 1 and also in apology for my post-medical-school-prom-inebriated behavior. Heh.
The menu:
Balsamic Fennel Sautee
Crab and Avocado salad with cucumber and cilantro in a fish sauce base dressing
Cucumber yogurt with mint
Lemon and mint cous-cous
Eggplant curry (Baingan Bharta-esque)
Chicken and chickpea curry (Tikka Masala ish)
Thai-inspired tilapia and bell pepper curry
I think he enjoyed it. : ) And I definitely enjoyed preparing it.
Yesterday, I made him a flavorful dinner series inspired by Asian and SE Asian flavors in celebration of the end of his Master's Program year 1 and also in apology for my post-medical-school-prom-inebriated behavior. Heh.
The menu:
Balsamic Fennel Sautee
Crab and Avocado salad with cucumber and cilantro in a fish sauce base dressing
Cucumber yogurt with mint
Lemon and mint cous-cous
Eggplant curry (Baingan Bharta-esque)
Chicken and chickpea curry (Tikka Masala ish)
Thai-inspired tilapia and bell pepper curry
I think he enjoyed it. : ) And I definitely enjoyed preparing it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)