Dishes that Are Puzzling Good

Do you know the feeling when you eat something new or different and you really want that flavor profile again? There are certain items that most people never make at home and they either are bought in a store or eaten at a restaurant. I usually go on a mad quest to figure out how to make some of those dishes. It could be a simple side dish or even a main dish, but it's something I have to know how to make so I can have it when I want it.

Namasu and pickled ginger are 2 of those items that I really wanted to know how to make. And they are so simple! What is namasu? Namasu is a Japanese pickled dish consisting of thinly sliced vegetables or vegetables and seafood, marinated in rice vinegar and sugar for several hours and can be stored for longer.

You usually find it as a pickled cucumber side dish at a Japanese restaurant. I found some really fresh Japanese cucumbers at the farmer's market on Saturday (these are the thinner ones with less seed) and decided to make my version of namasu so I could eat it as a healthy side dish when I got the craving.

INGREDIENTS:
4 med. Japanese Cucumbers (washed, with peel on)...note, the ones I used were med. size and not the huge ones
1 tbls. Sea Salt
1/4 Pickling Juice from Pickled Ginger (store bought or homemade, see recipe below)
1/4 c. Sugar
1/4 c. Rice Vinegar
1/4 large red onion finely sliced
1 large carrot cut in very thin 2 inch matchstick pieces
1/4 c. finely chopped pickled ginger

DIRECTIONS:
Wash and dry cucumbers, do not peel. Finely slice the Japanese Cucumbers with a sharp knife or in a food processor or other slicing device. Put cucumbers in large bowl and sprinkle sea salt on top. Allow to sit for 20 min. so that the liquid is extracted from cucumbers. Drain. Blot dry.

While cucumbers are sitting in sea salt mix the ginger juice, rice vinegar and sugar, mix well. Add the sliced onion, sliced carrots and pickled ginger. When the cucumbers are ready add them to the mixture.

Allow to sit for several hours before using. These can last for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. I store in a tightly sealed canning jar. Serve with fish, top on salads, eat as a side dish with wraps and sandwiches. Enjoy.
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Here's the recipe for pickled ginger. Please note that there is a difference in the TYPE of ginger you use for this. I discovered that young ginger is what is used for the sushi type of ginger that most people are accustomed to eating. I also thought that the pink coloring was an additive (read the ingredients if you buy pre-packaged). I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that young ginger when it is very fresh turns naturally pink after pickling in rice vinegar and sugar. I found that the freshness of my homemade version unbeatable and the taste absolutely invigorating. I'm a ginger fan, so of course I was excited to be able to make my own.

Here's a great link for everything you want to know about ginger:
http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices.ginger.html

PICKLED GINGER INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. fresh young ginger
2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 c. rice vinegar
1 c. sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Wash young ginger and gently rub skin off. Thinkly slice ginger. You will need a very sharp knife or you can use the thinnest blade on your food processor or slicing device. Put salt on ginger and allow to sit for 1 hour. Allow water and juices to extract. Drain and blot dry. Put the ginger in a sterilized jar or container.

In a saucepan boil sugar and vinegar. Allow to come to a boil. Pour hot mixture over ginger slices. Allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate. NOTE: the freshest young ginger will anturally turn light pink. Serve as a condiment with sushi, fish, rice dishes or any time you want to cleanse your palate. Stores for months in the refrigerator.
Explore, create and invigorate through your taste buds as you take yourself on your own culinary journey!

Your Life Story on a Plate

What would your life look like as a 4-course meal? Where have you come from, what inspired you to follow your dreams, what reminds you of the dream you created, and where are you going as you create the next phase of your life? Tonight's last episode of Top Chef Masters on Bravo was exceptional and really inspired me. The 3 remaining chefs had to cook a meal that told a story of their journeys as chefs and where they came from and where they are going.

Could you create a 4-course meal that depicts your life? It doesn't matter if you are a chef or not. What matters is that you could describe your journey in a way that comes alive and expresses yourself in your unique way. It could be expressed as a favorite dish at a restaurant, one your mother cooked, or one that you cook. What is your story?

My Life Story as a 4-Course Meal

FIRST COURSE

1. What dish would you create that tells us where you came from and reminds you of childhood?

My first course would be a roasted tomato fennel soup with fresh basil, pecorino romano cheese and a garlic cheese toast. The memories I have growing up are of my father's love for food and my grandmother's passion for cooking Italian cuisine. I grew up in a household where food was important and was influence by an Italian grandmother who appreciated the raw ingredients that went into a meal. My Sicilian grandmother Zena taught me the importance of using fresh whole ingredients, caring about creating a meal and then lovingly sharing it with others. This roasted tomato soup is comfort food and has my favorite ingredients highlighted. Soup is comfort food and reminds me of childhood memories that make me feel warm fuzzies inside.

SECOND COURSE

2. What dish would you create that gave you your inspiration to become a chef (or whatever inspired you to follow your dreams)?

My friends and acquaintances were my inspiration for following my passion for cooking and creating a career out of it. I have had many people over the years tell me what dishes they love and that they really enjoyed my cooking. I dismissed these compliments most of my life. I never believed cooking could be my way of expressing my creativity, I was always searching for something more important. My second course would consist of a series of appetizers, dishes I created from my passion for cooking and inspired by my love for food over the years. APPETIZER COURSE: Spanakopita (spinach pie with French Feta); Marinated Roasted Portabella Mushrooms with Herbed Goat Cheese; Fresh Salmon Corn Cakes with sweet chili sauce or tarragon cream sauce.

THIRD COURSE

3. What dish would you create that is a reminder of your first restaurant (first business, creation, etc...)?

My journey to create my company Maui Fresh Chef has certainly been influenced by the fresh ingredients of Hawaii and the Pacific and fusion cuisine. My third course would be fresh seared ahi with lemon pesto butter and mango pineapple salsa; rosemary risotto with buttery Big Island mushrooms; and roasted garlic asparagus. I could not have created my present life without my 7 years in Hawaii. This course represents my inspiration to build a future and be creative in the culinary field. This course reminds me of where I am now and inspires me to be even more creative in my day to day life.

FOURTH COURSE

4. What dish would represent your future, and where you are going?

I love dessert and a meal is not complete without dessert. My life is about layers. It's about colors. It's about flavors. It's about something that stands out and makes a statement. I would create a passion fruit cream trifle with a passionfruit chiffon cake layered with triple-berry sauce, mango sauce, and a pineapple sauce. Each layer would create a beautiful blend of colors and the dessert would be a showcase and an ending to a meal that people would remember. It reminds me of how life is about the journey, not the destination. Life is about creating a story and about creating the layers of life that make you stand out and what people are reminded of when they think of you.

So what is YOUR story as described on a plate? Can you remember where you came from? What inspires you? What brought you to where you are now? And where are you going? Can you describe it in colors, through food, through words? Your story is unique to you and it's important to remind yourself of your past so you remember your present and remind yourself that you have a journey yet to follow.

Bon appetit!

Farm Fresh Vegetables

VEGETABLE FRESH

I do love vegetables. It is wonderful to live in a place where fresh fruits and vegetables grow year round. I will admit, I'm not a gardener. I do love knowing the gardeners. This woman on the left brings her fresh herbs and vegetables from Oahu each weekend. Thanks to her I can make lots and lots of pesto!

I love the fact that Pacific'O and I'O and Feast at Lele restaurants here on Maui have their own farm and grow their vegetables. They are leaders and really dedicated to food and making a difference. I have been to the farm twice now and learned so much both time. The photo of the red branches is RED QUINOA! SEE PHOTOS LEFT AND BELOW of O'O Farm.

I really did pick those asparagus. And if you don't pick them when they mature they flower.
The watermelon radish on the right was quite fabulous and has such a vibrant color and adds quite a blast to any plate. Try adding some fresh fennel bulb to a vegetable tray for an absolutely fresh and delicious crunch.

I think that eating vegetables can be as exciting as eating anything else. It's just that you have to find a source for different produce to make it exciting for you and your family. Try adding different raw vegetables and sprouts to a plate such as fennel, sunflower sprouts and daikon radish. Experiment. You don't have to buy a lot. Just try a few things and buy small quantities to start.

Quinoa - Yes, it comes in colors.
Red quinoa has just as much wonderful healthy goodness as regular white quinoa. It's a complete protein like its pale sister, offering you all the essential amino acids that you need to build strong bones, muscles, skin, and blood. You can substitute rice in any dish with quinoa, which is great since it has more than twice the amount of protein than rice. Compared with white quinoa, the red variety has a slightly earthier flavor.

Cooking Quinoa in a pot:

Boil 2 cups of water.
Add 1 cup of quinoa, cover, and turn down the heat to low.

After about 15 minutes, lift up the cover and stir.
You'll know it's done when the grain turns slightly transparent, and the curly string-like germ has separated from the circular part.
Quinoa is great on its own when eaten with a stir-fry, but you can also make it its own dish, similar to a rice pilaf. Simply sauté your favorite veggies and add them to the cooked quinoa. For even more flavor, cook quinoa in veggie or mushroom broth instead of water.

I cook quinoa in my rice maker. I take 1 1/2 cups short grain brown rice and 1/2 cup white or red quinoa. Add 4 cups water. Add salt to water. The consistency is PHENOMENAL.

You can create a wonderful rice/quinoa salad. Fresh julienned pea pods, shredded carrots, some garlic, fresh diced tomatoes and a little feta with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar (try white balsamic if you can get it).

Remember. Always fresh. Always Delicious. Always with Aloha!

Simply Summer Fresh

Simply Summer Fresh Celebrating

I do love parties and I do love sharing special events over food! It really doesn't have to be a special event, any event becomes special.

This summer I had a good friend come and visit. And a friend of mine on the island had her sister and friend here as well. Time to celebrate.

I found some fabulous cheeses: creamy Delice de Bourgogne and Five Pokes raw white cheddar. I found these at Costco! Needless to say the guests oohed and ahhed, I threw in some dried cherries, candied ginger and some cashews and macadamia nuts to round off the cheese platter. I servd with thin slices of ciabatta lightly toasted.

Dinner was a simple avocado tomato basil and garlic salad with some garlic toasts. There were teriyaki chicken and tofu skewers with peanut sauce for nibbling. There were some of my famous rosemary sweet potatoes that are always a hit. And for dessert I outdid myself with my triple berry trifle by adding a layer of mango puree! Needless to say the guests were in trifle heaven.

Share with friends. Appreciate the moment, and make it a special event. Add a twist to your family recipe to make it even a little more memorable and make it your own. And remember to eat well with those around you and make today special. Make the table bright and cheerful with an array of dishes that showcase a variety of ingredients with lots of colors. Add a few colored candles. Make your guests smile with a little extra effort of something that reminds them of YOU as you spread your Aloha Spirit with them.

Always fresh. Always delicious. Always with Aloha.