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James Brown - Please Please Please
Okayu
Okayu is a simple rice porridge eaten for breakfast in Japan. Rice porridge is served pretty much all over Asia and the toppings and seasonings vary according to country. Okayu is a very comforting dish when you are sick, because it is very gentle on your stomach. There are two simple ways to cook okayu.
1) Wash 1/2 cup short grain Japanese rice thoroughly and place in a pot with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally until the rice has split and the consistency of the okayu is relatively thick (about 1 1/2 hours). Adjust the amount of water according to your tastes. If you like your okayu thicker, you may not want to add more water. If you like your okayu soupy, you will have to add more water while cooking.
2) I prefer this second way because it saves a lot of time. Take 1 cup of cooked leftover short grain Japanese rice and put it in a pot with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and stir occasionally for about 20 minutes, or until the rice has split. Adjust the amount of water as you would with the other method of cooking okayu.
Here are some other yummy toppings:
Grilled salmon, shredded chicken or pork, black and white sesame seeds, eggs, kimchi, fermented bean curd, Chinese cruller, Chinese preserved mustard greens, scallions, ginger, fried shallots, bamboo shoots, chopped chilis, cilantro, etc.
The possibilities seem endless! Depending on what you top it with, this simple rice porridge can transform into a traditional Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Malaysian dish (to name just a few).
Pictured on top is a bowl of okayu with chirimenjako, umeboshi and wakame (okayu with seasoned tiny fish, pickled plum and seaweed).
On the bottom is a bowl of okayu with katsuobushi, wakame and ume yukari (okayu with dried bonito flakes, seaweed and dried red shiso leaves with dried plum).
Steamed Asparagus with a Poached Egg and Pecorino
One of the most simple things to make but also one of the most satisfying. In my opinion, it looks impressive, so it is a good and easy dish to make when you have guests over. Make this for brunch or lunch with the freshest and highest quality ingredients you can get your hands on. Serve with a nice piece of crusty toasted bread for soaking up the leftover egg yolk.
Linguine Aglio e Olio
For my mama. I should probably take a shower now…I really smell like garlic.
The secret to making your aglio e olio very fragrant and garlicky yet mild is to put about 6 or 7 cloves of thinly sliced garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes and olive oil into a cold pan and heat it up over very low heat. It takes about 15 minutes for the garlic to turn slightly golden brown, but the oil will be thoroughly infused.
Sesame French Fries with Spicy Ketchup
Hankook Taqueria
1341 Collier Rd.
Pallookaville Food Truck
I was dragged to the Art-B-Que specifically for a Pallookaville corn dog but was glad in the end to have tried one. This is the best corn dog I have ever had and I usually do not like them. The batter is perfectly crispy and crunchy on the outside and fluffy but not sweet (!) on the inside. I had the Cornleone (Italian sausage) in pepper batter and Bret had the Corndogula (all beef hot dog) in regular batter. We enjoyed our corn dogs with hot pepper mustard, whole grain mustard, sriracha, horseradish cream and J & J’s habanero hot sauce.
Melvins - Dr. Geek
Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken served with Beans, Rice, Pico de Gallo and Huacatay Sauce.
Las Brasas
310 East Howard Ave., Decatur
So so good but this cell phone picture quality is truly terrible.
Loretta Lynn - Rated X
Japanese Style Tofu Salad
Tofu with scallions, tomatoes, cucumbers and wakame with a sesame miso dressing.
Ikura has always been one of my favorites. When my family went out for sushi when I was a kid I would always (and still do) save my ikura gunkanmaki for last. The ikura gunkanmaki on the left was from Daimaru in Shinsaibashi and those giant uramaki on the right were from a grocery store near Higashi-Koenji Station.
Chilled Cauliflower Soup
I love chilled soups and I created the recipe for this chilled cauliflower soup yesterday. It is refreshing and deceivingly healthy, as I used greek yogurt instead of cream.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp anchovy paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- a pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 quart low sodium chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups plain greek yogurt
- ground white pepper, to taste
- salt, to taste
Method:
In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low. Add in the onion and celery and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes until the onions are transparent and a little bit browned. Add in the cauliflower, cover and reduce heat to low. Let the cauliflower cook for 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is completely cooked through, stirring occasionally. Mix in the garlic, anchovy paste, bay leaves, oregano, nutmeg and smoked paprika. Let this mixture cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or until the garlic and spices are fragrant. Pour in the chicken stock and stir well. Increase the heat to medium. Let the soup simmer for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, turn the heat off and let the soup cool completely with the lid on. Pour the cooled soup into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add the greek yogurt and blend for just a few seconds. Season to taste with white pepper and salt. Place the soup into the refrigerator for a few hours to chill. Serve in bowls garnished with an extra dollop of yogurt, a little white pepper and a few drops of good quality extra virgin olive oil if you would like.
Tom Cuon Chien and Com Tam Bi Cha Suon Nuong Trung Ga
Fried Shrimp Rolls and Broken Jasmine Rice with Shredded Roast Pork, Grilled Pork Chop, a Steamed Omelet and Two Fried Eggs.
Pho Dai Loi Restaurant
4061 Jonesboro Road, Forest Park
A perfect way to end a great day of antiquing at Scott Antique Market.
Atlanta Expo Center on the second weekend of every month
3650 Jonesboro Road Southeast
Smoked Salmon and Poached Egg over Salad with Caper and Dijon Vinaigrette
This was an absolutely delicious quick lunch of mixed baby greens, english cucumber, white onion, tender white asparagus, ripe tomatoes, smoked wild alaskan salmon and a poached egg with a caper and dijon vinaigrette. I was very hungry and in a hurry so this picture does not do the dish justice. I think the egg looks a little sad.
