January dinner party

There are some dishes that prove difficult to describe, and some whose descriptions sound far from appetizing. The Japanese comfort food okonomiyaki is one of those foods. You could say it's kind of like Japanese pizza, but that's not entirely accurate. Unfortunately, as soon as you mention cabbage, egg, and seafood, people's brows begin to knit in confusion or concern.

But don't worry, blogsphere. Okonomiyaki is your friend-- even if it has octopus on it.

Last Saturday was the first dinner party of my Mission Possible cooking project, and KC and I had decided on a Japanese theme: okonomiyaki, grilled tofu, sake, azuki filled mochi, and Japanese pastries.


Before I got down to business, I donned my lovely new apron, a Christmas gift from Kami.

I've made okonomiyaki a handful of times, but feel like I'm still perfecting the process. Once upon a time, when I lived in Japan, I had the luxury of watching my friend Maiko craft her wonderful recipe. Now that I'm home and using all Japanese ingredients (and can no longer decipher anything on the packaging without the help of pictures), I try to go off of memory.





First I mix okonomiyaki flour and about a cup water, then I grate in a root-like Japanese vegetable called Nagaimo. To be honest, this part is disgusting. The pulp is slimy and looks like snot, but it's the "glue" that holds the batter together.

Now for cabbage chopping time (I usually use half of a large one)!



Next, I add a ton of red pickled ginger, two eggs, and chopped green onion. I stir in the wet flour/water/pulp mixture, tempura crispies, and some Japanese seasoning.



In the past, I've topped my okonomiyaki with pork or shrimp, but KC challenged me to use more authentic seafood-- octopus. As Maiko and Kenichi used to make me this particular version in Japan, I wasn't terribly intimidated by the suggestion, but the thought of having to chop up the large tentacle was a little unnerving. I made it a boyfriend job.




Gambatte, tako-san!

Finally, you scoop the batter onto a hot griddle or skillet and form medium-sized pancakes. The toppings of your choice go on very last (we did half with shrimp/octopus and half with pork). The waiting that follows is tough, but you want to make sure the okonomiyaki cooks thoroughly on both sides. This involves lots of deft flipping and patience, but it's well worth the effort.




The finished product! Top it off with delectable okonomiyaki sauce, bonito flakes, and aonori (fine seaweed flakes).


Happy dinner guests! :D

Okonomiyaki making

Last Wednesday, with some trepidation, I decided to attempt the art of cooking okonomiyaki. I had watched the event several times and had even been instructed firsthand by Maiko and Kenichi. But I was still very intimidated. After all, I wasn't just cooking it for myself, but for my family too!

Luckily, I had smuggled most of the key ingredients from Japan in my suitcase! Maiko had also been kind enough to send me her recipe, so there was really no excuse not to give it a go.


Mixing up the batter portion of the recipe

After a little bit of guess work, I assembled my first okonomiyaki "pancake" on the griddle and watched it cook. When it came time to flip it, I was in agony over the proper flipping technique. It was such a large, bulky, cabbage-filled shape! How was one supposed to manage the feat of flipping it without spilling its cabbagy guts all over the place? Luckily, Mom and I (with the aid of several spatulas) met with success.


Mom, the proud okonomiyaki flipper


Almost done!

When the okonomiyaki was invitingly crisp and brown, I smothered it in authentic Japanese okonomiyaki sauce and seaweed flakes and served it up! To my great delight (and sense of accomplishment, I might add), it was delicious!



Yatta! The finished product ;)

The Adventures of Sarah, part 1

Yesterday, Wes kindly dropped me off at Shin-Yamaguchi station so I could take the shinkansen into Hiroshima. I boarded the Hikari super express train and, reclining in my comfortable reserved seat, began to nod off. A little over thirty minutes later, we had arrived. Allow me to just sing the praises of Japan Railways and their efficiency for one moment. The shinkansen is one of the best modes of transportation ever invented. I would take it everywhere if I could.

I immediately took a taxi to the immigration office so I could turn in my certificate of eligibility and arrange for a change of official status. An hour and about $45.00 later, I had a one-year "specialist in humanities" work visa. Phew!

By that time, it was a little after 10:00 am, so with plenty of time to kill, I took a cab to the Peace Memorial Park. It was a warm sunny day and the park was crammed full of teenagers in their matching sailor fukus, groups of school children in color coordinated hats, and tourists. Standing across from the skeleton of the A-Bomb Dome was very humbling. I got strange chills when I remembered the fact that I was standing on a place that had once been completely obliterated. By my own country. There was almost a flash of guilt for a moment, even though I was born long after the generation that had dropped the bomb. But the park had a sense of hope filling it, and everyone, though respectful and thoughtful, was in good spirits. Hiroshima is a bright and beautiful city, clean and surrounded by hills and river views. It's amazing to see how fully it has recovered in the last sixty years.


The top of the Children's Memorial, which pictures the story of the Sadako Saski, a little girl who died of leukemia after surviving the atomic bomb explosion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadako_Sasaki


The A-bomb Dome, virtually all that remains of the old city


Some of the beautiful roses near the Children's Memorial, with the A-Bomb Dome in the background.


A few of the many colorful strings of paper cranes that fill the park


The pond of water lilies that surrounds the peace bell


Beautiful Hiroshima


A video I took while I was there

After touring the park, I was ready for lunch and a cool drink. I knew precisely what I wanted to eat: Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. I love Kansai okonomiyaki, but the fabled Hiroshima version is said to be different and much better. Wes and Susan had recommended a good restaurant, but when I arrived, I found that they were closed! I was disappointed, but determined to eat what I had waited so long to try. So I began to wander the streets, exploring the alleyways, until my nose eventually lead me in the right direction. I recognized the familiar smell and ducked into a small shop that was inhabited by one patron and the shop owner, a little old woman. After determining that I was in the right place, I ordered pork okonomiyaki with soba noodles and waited eagerly for my meal. It was placed right in front of me more quickly than I imagined, and when I took the first bite, I almost wept with happiness. Oh. My. Word. One of the best things I have ever eaten!

Sarah, you may ask, what in the world is okonomiyaki and what is the difference between the two kinds? Well, faithful readers, it's something like a cabbage pizza. Before you wrinkle your nose and imagine something disgusting, check out this wikipedia article that describes the popular dish and the two variations of it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okonomiyaki

Kansai okonomiyaki is made by throwing an egg, cabbage, and all of your other spices right into the bowl. After being stirred, the mixture is placed on the griddle and your toppings of choice are spooned on top. The pancake-like creation cooks, is flipped over, and cooked some more. Then fish flakes, seaweed flakes, sauce, and mayonnaise is added to the finished product. Hiroshima okonomiyaki actually has a thin doughy crust as a base and is layered with cabbage, meat, noodles, and everything else. It's thicker, fatter, and like a slice of heaven. I love both kinds, but Hiroshima is my new favorite!


Delicious!

After lunch, I wandered around a bit more and found a cute little shrine tucked away between some apartments and a gas station. The Doctor and I explored it and snapped some photos.


The gateway of multiple torii gates
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii)


The Doctor takes in the peaceful ambiance

Next was a train trip and ferry ride to beautiful Miyajima! But that's a whole 'nother story, and you'll have to wait until I have more time to post. For now, I'm off to prepare for the church's Cinco de Mayo celebration and bake some goodies! Stay tuned!