Easy Inarizushi

The Ds are still gone.  They have been gone nearly 2 weeks.  I am at the point where I've nearly forgotten their bickering, messiness(D2)/OCD(D1), and eye-rolling, and missing them a lot.  I'm hoping the weather will be settled by the time they get to Osaka.  Right now, they have probably crossed back into Japan waters.

And speaking of water. . .we have been seeing a lot of it (for this time of year)!  It's been so rainy.  Actually, no, the weather has just been fickle.  One minute it's sunny, then, in the blink of an eye, it's pouring.  There were even some violent thunderstorms and monsoon-like rains about 25 miles away in the area of the active lava.  According to the news, the thunderstorms are indeed related to the lava flow. 

Where was I?  Oh yeah...missing the Ds.  The animals here have also noticed the Ds are gone.  The cats make daily morning trip into their area of the house; even Rain seems to know D2 is not here.  Usually, Rain tries to breach the barstool barricade which D2 uses to prevent Rain from going into her bedroom.  Since she has been gone, Rain doesn't even go near the area.  The cats are both sleeping in my room at night, and that makes for some interesting jousting over bed real estate.  I'm glad Rain isn't part of the jousting.

I haven't received many texts from the Ds, but I'm attributing that to the limited availability of free WiFi in the area where they are traveling.  In a few days they will be back in the city, so I'm expecting to hear from them then.  I'm curious to know what they ate in Russia. 

Since they've been away, I have been able to plan meals better since I know the exact # of dinner eaters.  I also took the opportunity to make things I know they would not care to eat.  Neither D would touch inarizushi (cone sushi).  Neither TheHelp nor I have an explanation for this.  They both eat sushi (as in Genki Sushi or any other sushi place), so it cannot be the seasoned rice.  They also eat tofu/fried tofu.  I just don't get it.

Last week, on one of the scorching hot days (we had both hot days and cool, late-autumn-like days), I broiled some salmon belly strips to go with inarizushi.  While filling the sushi, I remembered how I would see the older ladies cooking the aburage (fried tofu) to prepare for sushi.  It was an elaborate process. . .taking hours to make, as it involved not just preparing the cones, but the filling required preparation as well.  I felt almost guilty, just ripping open a package of seasoned cones and, gasp, using an ice cream scoop to help portion the rice into the cones.

Inarizushi is an okazuya staple here.  No self-respecting lunch shop would dare NOT offer cone sushi!  And with the ease of preparation today, there is no excuse for not having it in the food case.  Most of the inarizushi served at okazuyas here are in the traditional cone shape.  You can find the pre-seasoned cone-shaped pouches in some of the supermarket here, but the oblong variety is easier to locate.  Some are shelf-stable, while other supermarkets keep their cones in the refrigerated area.

The picture on the left is the brand I usually buy at the local supermarket.  It contains 16 pouches.  Another brand has fewer pouches, but the 16 pouches can accommodate 2 cups of cooked rice, so it's convenient to make.  So far, all the brands of inari pouches I've tried have been tasty.  I have also tried the canned pouches, and they were very good too.  The pouches, no matter how they are sold, have instructions for making the rice.  At right are the directions from the back of the Misuzu brand package.  I have only a faint clue as to what it says to do (guessing from looking at the pictures), as I cannot read Japanese. 

After playing with a few different proportions, and taking KikukatDad's constructive criticism into consideration, I think I've come up with an easy way to make the rice filling.  The carrots are for color (KikukatDad once commented that HIS MOTHER would never have stuffed the cones with plain sushi rice),  especially if you are accustomed to a grandma making inarizushi.  It tastes perfectly fine without the carrots. The rice can also be cooked without the dashi konbu, but using it gives it a flavor profile which I find reminiscent of old-fashioned, grandma-type cooking. . .it just adds something. 

And if you are fortunate enough to find dashi konbu and add it, you might actually be able to hear your grandma scolding you for using the #16 disher to load the rice into the pouches!

clcck on recipe title for printable recipe

Easy Inarizushi

     1 pkg. pre-seasoned inarizushi pouches (Misuzu brand is 9.5 oz. and comes with 16 squares, divided into
          packs of 4).

     2 c raw white rice (rice cooker cups, not regular cups)

     water
     2-3 tbsp finely grated carrot

     1" square piece of dashi konbu (optional)

     3 tbsp rice vinegar

     2 tbsp sugar

     1/2 tsp salt

Wash rice and place in automatic rice cooker.  Fill water up to the 2 cup line.  Place carrots and dashi konbu on rice.  Cook rice.  Meanwhile, stir sugar and salt into rice vinegar until both are dissolved.  Set aside.  When rice is done cooking, remove dashi konbu.  Place rice in bowl and pour vinegar mixture over hot rice.  Stir gently to coat rice with vinegar mixture.  Stuff inarizushi pouches with about 1/4 c of seasoned rice.

Easy Koko

After weeks of cholesterol (fat-laden baked beans, smoked brisket & multiple trips to Leungs), I needed some time to regroup.  I love fatty foods, but even I need a break from the lipids.

This is a good time to take a trip down memory lane to Mt. View Gramma's house.  She was always cooking...always making something in the kitchen.  One thing I remember was her enameled tub in the corner of her immaculate kitchen.  Her tub was usually filled with some kind of vegetable, topped with a flat wooden board and weighted down with a large rock.  My "duty" was to clean my feet and step on the rock.  It was only when I was much older (and I was told not to step on the rock...I guess it wasn't cute anymore) did I realize what was the end result of this archaic contraption.

I think the formal/polite words to use to describe this might be tsukemono or oshinko or (fill-in-the-blank)zuke, but most people in Hawaii use koko to describe any type of humble pickles.

The modern way of making koko is to use a pickle pot.  The pickle pot is a self-contained vat where the pressure to smash the vegetables is provided by a screw-down plate aided by a spring.  This constantly applies pressure to the vegetables.  I got my pickle pot from Marukai.  If you don't have a pickle pot, there is nothing wrong with using Mt. View Gramma's method...place veggies and other ingredients in a tub or bowl, put a plate over it and put something heavy on the plate.

There seems to be no law on how to cut the veggies to pickle, and while The Help told me they should be cut small, I've also seen people use large chunks of cabbage and cucumbers.  As far as the variety of vegetables...almost anything goes, but a cabbage or won bok is standard.  If you have ever dined at Miyo's, this recipe will produce a product very similar to the little plate accompanying the miso soup there (add grated ginger for the Miyo's version).  Sometimes, Miyo's will add bean sprouts to the vegetable mix and sprinkle a few sesame seeds over the top.

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Easy Koko

     cabbage or won bok, cut small
     carrots (shredded, optional)
     daikon (cut into thin half moons, optional)
     cucumber (cut into thin half moons, optional)
     eggplant (cut into thin half moons, optional)

     1/4 c rock salt

     1/2 c sugar

     1/4 c vinegar

     2 c water
     grated ginger (optional)

Place cabbage in a pickle pot.  Mix remaining ingredients and pour over cabbage.  Screw pickle pot down and leave for 2 days.  Drain well.

If using vegetable scraps (about 1/8 cabbage):

1 tbsp rock salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp water
grated ginger(optional)

This past Friday was the Ho`olaule`a at D2's school.  I passed on a work trip to Honolulu to attend, and I have no regrets.  D2 did an awesome job, and I am so proud of her.  D1 was in the audience too, and even she said she was proud of her sister.  Sniff, sniff.

We are down to the final days of school.  For some lucky people, Friday is the last day of the work for this school year.  For those less fortunate, there are eight days left.  Yippeeeeee!!!

Introducing My Benriner

Mmmmmmm.  Just look over to the right at the cool, creamy cole slaw.  While most people would sink their teeth into the succulent smoked brisket, I'd make a beeline for the cole slaw.  Now don't get me wrong...I like 'cue just as much as the next person, but 'cue just isn't 'cue without good cole slaw.

Whenever I wanted to make cole slaw, I used to get out my bulky Cuisinart food processor, fit it with a slicing disc, and make quick work of a cabbage.  If you are planning to eat the cole slaw on the same day you make it, the 3mm slicing disc produces nice shreds.  If you are making this a day ahead, use a 4mm slicing blade.  You will get thicker pieces which won't be totally soggy and limp when you serve it.

I still have my nearly-20-year-old, trusty Cuisinart, and it gets used regularly.  But I found a faster, less cumbersome way to shred a cabbage.  I use my Benriner!

A Benriner is a mandoline.  Its made in Japan, which has caused me to pause more than once to try and to try and imagine how "Benriner" should be pronounced.  I am positive I'm not pronouncing it correctly.  The Benriner comes with a blade mounted on a platform, a finger guard, and 3 "teeth" blades.  The teeth blades are in varying widths, and the level of the platform can be adjusted for different thicknesses.  There are no measurements (that I can tell), so you just need to slice a few pieces and adjust (by turning a screw underneath the platform) until you get the thickness you want.  That is how I make quick work of a cabbage.

If you want julienne pieces, simply insert one of the teeth blades, tighten with the yellow screws on the side, and slice away.  For julienne carrots which are the right thickness for cole slaw, you will likely need to adjust the thickness from the cabbage slicing.  Changing blades and adjusting thickness are very simple.  The yellow screws on the side hold the teeth blade in place.  Taking the thing apart to wash is also simple.  The main thing is to be careful not to slice your finger because the mounted blade is super sharp.

Of course, like many other things, there are some things I wish I knew before I bought my Benriner.  I have the regular Benriner.  There are other models:  Super Benriner and Jumbo Benriner.  Both have platforms which are wider than the regular Benriner.  The slicing area of the regular benriner is under 3" wide.  Had I realized how easy it would be to use, I would have splurged for the widest model available! 

Some of my previously posted recipes would work well with a Benriner: Kimpira Gobo, Cold Noodles with Boiled Pork Topping (for slicing the cucumbers), Spicy Shredded Potatoes.  Even Cucumber and Chicken Namasu would work.

As far as pairing cole slaw with food, barbecue is king.  Whether its served in a mound on the side or piled onto a pulled pork sandwich, cole slaw and barbecue were meant to be together.  Seventy years of KFC has taught the world that cole slaw also goes well with fried chicken.  My former coworker BM told me to try it with meatloaf.  I did, and she was right.  The Help claims cole slaw goes well with pastrami, like in a pastrami sandwich.  I wouldn't know.  I don't eat pastrami.  The pastrami I've seen was/is usually eaten with the Devil's condiment.  I have bad memories of seeing it smeared all over the school lunch bun with pastrami slices coated in thick, ugly, coarse black pepper.  I also think pastrami smells like sweat.  Bleccchhhhh!!!

Okay, okay, this is just getting awkward now.  Without further ado, here is my recipe for cole slaw:

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Cole Slaw

     1 cabbage
     1 c mayonnaise
     1/4 c cider vinegar
     2/3 c sugar
     1/2 tsp salt
     1/8 tsp white pepper
     1 carrot
     1/2 tsp celery seed, optional

Shred cabbage.  Julienne carrot.  Combine all ingredients.  Chill until ready to serve.  Best if made 3 hours ahead of serving.

And as good as this recipe is, I must admit that I have gone to KFC just to buy a tub of their cole slaw.

A year ago, I was busy preparing for my trip to San Antonio.    Even though it feels like its time to take another trip, I don't think I'll be going anywhere for quite some time.  The Help finally got his birthday present. . .

Shaka

We will be Hilo-bound for a while.  Sigh. . .

Shopping Info:
You can buy a Benriner (Super Benriner) online at Sur La Table for $64.99.  Just click on one of the links below for a replacement blade to get to the Sur La Table website.  You could also get a Benriner at Marukai, but if you don't live on the island of Oahu, Sur La Table might be a better bet.


You can buy a Congo African Grey parrot at Sweet Leilani Aviaries, just outside Pahoa Town.  I know Charlene currently has Senegal babies too.  Babies are hand raised with tender loving care.  Shakas sister is Maui-bound!