Korean Chicken

Why is it that short weeks seem to drag by? Why is it that the shit always seems to hit the fan during short weeks?

That's exactly what happened this week.

That's exactly why I'm taking no prisoners today!

Last week was prom packet pick-up.  I cannot understand why students wait until the last minute to clear obligations.  I also cannot understand why students wait until the last minute to pick up packets.  Some dude didn't even attempt to pick up a packet and then expected me to give him one.  I told him he was too late, and he began cussing me out.  Ummm, they had four days to pick up, and they knew even before winter break that packet pick up would be happening in mid-January.

Someone else tried to get a packet without clearing financial obligations.  She got angry at me because I told her she had financial obligations to clear.

But the winner was another student who went to see my cuz for a packet.  My cuz refused on several grounds...outstanding obligations and packet pick-up time was over.  The student asked to speak to the "person in charge".  My cuz, no pushover herself, warned the student that the outcome would not be different.  I guess that's when the student showed up at my room, insisting a packet be given.  I had spoken to this student during lunch and mentioned the clearing of all obligations.  But this student wouldn't budge.  SHE stood in front of me and said she wants to go to the prom.  I told her there was nothing I could do to help her now because packet pick up is over.  She continued to stand in front of me.  I had to tell her to leave my room because I had work to do.  Amazing!

dipping cooked chicken pieces into the sauce

My weekend trip to Honolulu couldn't have come at a better time.  Of course it was for medical reasons, but I enjoyed being there. . . shopping, eating, more shopping, more eating.  The Help tagged along.  Well, The Help actually had an agenda for the trip.  He managed to get himself a spanking new toy.  He also drove me around without complaining and even read things to me when I couldn't see.  

The trip rejuvenated me for what I'm bracing for today...the kids who failed to get prom packets are probably going to seek me out.  Some will try and get sympathy while others will try and intimidate me.  I may even have parents calling me.  Whatevers.  We are moving forward.

On our way home from the airport, we stopped at the market to buy food for tonight's dinner.  I bought a pack of chicken wings because I've been ono for Korean chicken. . .the kine I grew up with. 

chicken glazed just right

About a year ago, I blogged about a copycat version of a popular take out dish from Kay's Lunch Center.  Kay's called it "Korean chicken", and they would shred it up and use it in another popular dish, Korean chicken salad.  As best as I can recall, that recipe is what Kay's chicken was like.

But the Korean chicken made lovingly by aunties for family parties (come on. . .if you grew up in Hawaii, you probably had an auntie who made the best Korean chicken), was not the same as what Kay's Lunch Center called Korean chicken.

Today's blog recipe IS the Korean chicken I grew up with.  Unlike the previously posted version, this chicken is seasoned AFTER frying, therefore, not much forethought is required in making this for a quick weeknight dinner (or an impromptu potluck).  Strangely enough, my favorite way to eat this is cold...refrigerator cold.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Korean Chicken

     2-3 lbs chicken wings
     2 cloves garlic, crushed
     1/2 c shoyu
     6 tbsp sugar
     2 tbsp sesame oil
     2 chili peppers, seeds removed, crushed
     green onions, chopped fine
     1/3 c potato starch (may substitute cornstarch or flour)
     1/3 c flour
     oil for frying

Disjoint chicken wings, discarding tips.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, combine garlic, shoyu, sugar, sesame oil, chili peppers and green onions.  Stir to dissolve sugar then set aside.  In a small ziploc bag, combine potato starch and flour.  Heat oil (about 1/2" deep) in a skillet.  Coat chicken pieces in potato starch/flour.  Fry in heated oil until golden brown.  As chicken browns, remove from skillet and plunge into sauce.  Turn chicken pieces to coat well.  Place in a serving dish. 

Fried Garlic Chicken

Years ago, I would try and get a reservation at Ninniku-ya whenever I was in Honolulu.  "Ninniku" is the Japanese word for garlic'; "ya" is the Japanese suffix for "business".  The garlic steak was out of this world.  I'm not sure when it happened, but Ninniku-ya in Honolulu closed.  But every now and then, I find myself jonesing for the garlic steak.

The garlic steak (a fat, bone-in ribeye) came on a large sizzling platter, along with a handful of well-browned garlic cloves and a thick pat of melting garlic-herb butter.  Some bearded Asian dude wearing chunky rings, would bring it to the table and cut the steak into large chunks.  He never cut the steak into truly bite-size pieces, and he didn't have much of a personality, but I loved the way he said "garlic steak".  His accent made "garlic" sound like "gaah-lick".

Because of the garlic steak, I never had opportunity to order too many other dishes.  Other than caprese salad, some kind of garlic pasta, and garlic fried chicken, I don't remember much else on the menu.  And unless I fly to Japan, it's unlikely that I'll ever have food at Ninniku-ya again.

When we have steak at home, I usually leave it up to the cook to decide on the preparation.  Mr. Dependable was a hibachi steak person...steaks, cooked on the grill only.  The Help usually does a 2-step preparation...sear on the range in a cast iron pan with grates, then finish in the oven.  I think he learned that method from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook.  The Help will sometimes make a red wine pan sauce to go with the steaks.  Neither Mr. Dependable nor The Help has ever done a garlic steak like Ninniku-ya.  Disclaimer:  The Help makes an excellent steak, but I'm certain he would readily admit that he does not make a steak like Ninniku-ya either, nor does he hack up the steak while wearing chunky rings.

I need to come clean on something.  I have never cooked a steak.  Honest!  With all the cooking I've done, I have never cooked a steak (other than a sliced up flank steak or a chuck steak cut into cubes for beef barley soup).  I am not kidding.  I find the hibachi daunting, whether it's a gas grill or a charcoal grill.  I might try the range/oven method, but I would not know where to begin. 

Now that I have convinced myself I want to eat a Ninniku-ya garlic steak, I will need to accept disappointment.  You will need to accept disappointment too.  For the past five paragraphs, I have extolled the goodness of the Ninniku-ya garlic steak, however I am unable to make a copycat of the steak.  I apologize if I misled you into thinking there would be a garlic steak recipe waiting at the end of the rainbow.  There is no such recipe in my arsenal at the moment.

The only "garlic" dish I can make is garlic fried chicken.  Thanks to a recipe shared by a former coworker when I worked in Honolulu, I make a mean ass garlic fried chicken. The awesome garlic flavor comes from garlic powder in the coating as well as sliced garlic cloves infusing the frying oil. The out of this world garlic flavor is smooth (unlike the jarring garlic calamari I had at some restaurant on Queen Anne Hill (I cannot remember the name of the restaurant, but it was in a cluster with several restaurants, including Jake O'Shaughnessy's in the old Hansen Baking Company) in Seattle.  If you have an affinity for garlic, this recipe will surely please your taste buds.  And if you are an attention seeker, try bringing this to a party.  You will be hounded for the recipe all night long.

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Fried Garlic Chicken

     2-2 1/2 lbs chicken wings, disjointed, tips discarded

     2 eggs, beaten

     1 c milk

     1 c flour

     1 tbsp garlic powder

     1 tbsp garlic salt

     3/4 tsp black pepper, divided

     2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

     vegetable oil

     8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

     1/4 c butter, melted

     1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

     1/4 tsp salt

     

Combine eggs and milk.  Pour into a square pan.  Add chicken pieces, turning to coat.  Set aside.  In a gallon-size ziploc bag, combine flour, garlic powder, garlic salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and thyme.  Drain chicken and coat with flour mixture.  Heat 1" of oil in a skillet (360 degrees).  Fry garlic until golden brown and crisp.  Remove and drain.  Fry chicken pieces until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Place chicken pieces in an oven-proof dish in a single layer.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  While chicken is baking, prepare sauce by combining butter, parsley, salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and fried garlic slices.  Pour over chicken and serve.

Me Me Shrimp

Sometimes life can be really cruel.  For most of her life (up to this point), D1 has taken full advantage of indulging in one of her favorite crustaceans, shrimp. She has stuffed her face with shrimp at the Sky Garden buffet (Imiloa Astronomy Center).  She has even eaten tempura udon all along the west coast (USA), Hawaii, and Japan.  She was so looking forward to her Japan trip this year for the opportunity to sample more tempura udon.  Unfortunately, all dreams of finding the best tempura udon in Japan came to a screeching halt a few months ago.  A spring visit to the allergist in Honolulu confirmed what we had suspected for a few months. . .D1 has a seafood allergy.

Dr. Kuo performed the "thousand needle" skin test, which revealed crab to be the most allergenic.  There was a slight/mild reaction to shrimp, and no reaction to lobster.  However, Dr. Kuo said that since crab, shrimp and lobster are closely related, he advised avoiding all 3 to prevent cross-reaction.

D1 was devastated.  I know she has contemplated having shrimp several times since that diagnosis.  And Mr. Dependable sold her out and told me she eats shrimp almost every weekend when she is with him!  Unlike Mr. Dependable, I tend to walk on the side of caution.  While benadryl has worked well in the past to combat the itching, I always tell her not to push her luck.  In spite of her allergy, D1 has a lot to be thankful for. . .she can still eat a whole bunch of other tasty seafood.  Clams, oysters, scallops are all safe (per Dr. Kuo).  I remind D1 that there other people who are not able to eat any seafood, including oyster sauce (neither of the Ds would be able to handle an allergy to this).

At this moment, D1 is somewhere in Tokyo. . .I hope she's not at Aoi Marushin or buying crab from Tsukiji!  I hope she remembers to ask what they use to make dashi.  And I most certainly hope she will not be tempted to indulge, even with epipen handy.  With an air of self-indulgence, D2 told me before she left that she plans to stuff herself with crab and shrimp tempura while there.  She said she'd even eat some sweet potato tempura (I didn't know she eats this)!

When D1 was part of the shrimp-eating population, her favorite shrimp dish was a toss-up between carry-along shrimp, salt & pepper shrimp and this shrimp dish.  The original recipe title is Mimi's Shrimp, and it was in a local cookbook.  I looked online for a similar recipe, and I came across the original recipe here.  The recipe link does not have any pictures of the finished dish, so I hope they will link to this blog (or ask me for permission to use the pics).

I have posted several kick-ass shrimp recipes, but I prefer this recipe to carry-along shrimp and salt & pepper shrimp.  This is more versatile.  It can be eaten with rice or with a crisp, green salad.  It also doesn't require much marinating time.  Because it's cooked on a grill, there is no oil to clean up (yay).  As a play on the original name of this recipe, we referred to this (when we were cooking shrimp) as "me me" (an homage to "Mimi") shrimp.  D1 is the ultimate "me me". . .the queen of the selfie!

Hey Six Sisters! Parmesan Honey Pork Roast

I need to start really cooking again.  I've really been lazy since returning from my Honolulu trip in mid-July.  I've hidden behind work as an excuse. . .not too hard since this is an arguably new experience for me. . .but even I get tired of eating out (or picking up) all the time.

In all fairness, my new job is not totally new.  I worked here a decade-and-a-half ago.  Some of the people are the same, and the campus is definitely still the same, but there are many things which have changed in my absence.  I have been sweating over some new things like the stupid rotating bell schedule.  This rotating schedule is just outrageous to keep track of, and if 6th and 7th periods are always at the end of the day, by the time the kids get to you, they are wiped out.  Then the Friday schedule has a life of its own too.  Some days the schedule lists even periods, and other times, it lists odd periods.  It is a record-keeping nightmare.

And I think its safe to say "the honeymoon is over".  This past week was totally trying.  Between D2 having tons of homework and D1 having a meltdown because a teacher misplaced her work, I just had it.  I was trying my best to help both of them, and I certainly didn't feel very appreciated.  I have also kept my tongue majorly in check with some of the adults on campus.  One guy was a totally rude asshole, and it makes me wonder how he is supposed to be helping kids with a stinking disposition like that.  Speaking to him for 5 minutes sent off so many red flags which, I'm sure, kids can pick up on too.  Many of the adults at my school don't know how good they have it.  The teachers in the district I worked in last year would kill to have such cushy jobs.

Because I've been so busy with work, I've been neglecting my personal technology time at home.  Candy Crush Saga must miss me, and I'm sure Pinterest misses me too.  I need to get back in form again since I haven't pinned things in a long time.

One of my earliest pins on Pinterest was Six Sisters' Stuff:  Slow Cooker Parmesan Honey Pork Roast.  I finally got around to trying it, and I must say that it was one of the best crock pot pork dishes I have ever had.  Unfortunately, due to my own ineptitude, I ended up having to slightly alter the recipe.  I've linked to the original recipe on their site, but the recipe I ended up using is at the end of this post.

For you locals, this tastes like a savory version of the shoyu pork your Japanese grandma made (or what I imagine the shoyu pork of a Japanese grandma would taste like. . .I wouldn't know because mine didn't make).  Okay, okay...its similar to the shoyu pork in the okazuya case at Kawamoto but not so dried out.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Parmesan Honey Pork Roast with Chinese Gravy

     3-4 lb boneless pork roast (I used shoulder)
     1/2 c honey
     3 tbsp shoyu
     1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
     1 tbsp vegetable oil
     1 clove garlic, minced
     2/3 c grated parmesan cheese
     5 fresh basil leaves
     2 tbsp cornstarch
     1/4 c water

Spray crock pot with cooking spray.  Place pork roast in crock pot.  Combine honey, shoyu, oils, parmesan cheese, and garlic.  Pour over pork.  Scatter basil leaves.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Remove roast to serving platter.  Pour liquid (use fat separator to remove as much fat as possible) into a saucepan.  Heat til boiling.  Combine cornstarch and water.  Whisk into saucepan, stirring until thickened.  Serve with pork (sliced or pulled).

On Saturday, an ER nurse left an anonymous comment on my blog, which was extremely nasty and insulting towards teachers.  Essentially, this person felt the need to accuse me of going into education for June, July & August (summer vacation).  This person continued his/her assault by saying teachers have the nerve to grumble about parents not participating in their child(ren)'s education because some of them work and have important jobs.  This person made it clear that the job of an ER nurse is more important that any job in education because they save lives.  This was the first and only comment I ever deleted without publishing.

An ER nurse is indeed someone who must be highly skilled, very intelligent, and have the ability to remain calm under intense conditions.  I think nursing is one of the most demanding fields, and I admire and respect anyone who works in a health care field.  Yes, you save lives and you help make the quality of our lives so much better.  However, one cannot become an ER nurse (or any other nurse or doctor. . .even in Grenada!) without somehow having benefitted from the work teachers do.  Someone had to teach them how to read and write!  Obviously, this particular ER nurse never learned manners, for if he/she had mastery of manners and a sense of common courtesy, he/she would never have made that comment.  It was downright rude, and to give you an idea of how dumb it was, it can be equated with saying something so idiotic like "those who go into nursing just wanna screw a doctor".  Yes, that's just fucking ridiculous...people go into nursing for the same reason people go into education. . .to help others, to make a difference in people's lives.  Like health care professionals who get upset with parents when their juvenile diabetic patients gorge on sugar, educators get upset with parents when their students don't study at home.  Jeezzzzz!  If you are so bothered by what I write, please refrain from reading my blog.  

Comments on my posts are welcome, especially those comments which offer unique recipe hints and tips.  I love those!  I am also open to publishing opinions which differ from my own, as not everyone has the time to create a blog of their own and just want to offer a different perspective.  Fine.  But I will not publish toxic, venomous comments, as nobody is being forced to read my blog.

Almost Thanh Long: Roasted Garlic Heaven

Three years ago, almost to the date, I was fortunate enough to take a trip to the Bay Area for the New Teacher Center Symposium.  (It had been Super Bowl weekend back then too, but I no longer get all hyped up, as age-wise, most of the players could be my sons.  I might have been called "cougar" at some point in my life, but even I have limits.)  One of the highlights of that trip was dinner at Thanh Long, a quasi-Vietnamese restaurant on Judah Street in San Francisco.

For years before, I had heard stories about the legendary roasted garlic crab served there.  I didn't give it too much thought because I grew up eating crab with a mayonnaise-shoyu dip.  But I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to try it.

The restaurant was nothing special in appearance, but the food (in addition to the roasted garlic crab, Co and I split a plate of garlic noodles) was out of this world good.  As soon as I got home, I searched the internet for a copycat recipe.  One of the blogs, Rasa Malaysia, had a copycat recipe, so I decided to give it a try.  Two years later, its become my go-to recipe for crab (and for garlic noodles too).

If you're ever in San Francisco, Thanh Long is a MUST try.  Their snooty sister restaurant, Crustacean, also serves crab, but the relaxed atmosphere of Thanh Long is more conducive to getting down and dirty with crab.  Trust me. . .with this crab, you will WANT to be in an environment where you can just dig in.

Rasa Malaysia's recipes for Roasted Garlic Crab and Garlic Noodles can be found here.  I use 1/4 the amount of black pepper because I don't usually care for pepper.  I've made the crab with both dungeness and king crab.  For ease, I prefer king crab.  My wallet prefers dungeness.   

The above link will take you to recipes for both roasted garlic crab and garlic noodles.  When I make roasted garlic crab, I always make the garlic noodles.  I'm not sure if its for nostalgic reasons or not, but it goes well with the crab and tastes so good.  The local Chinese store sells fresh noodles (Shandong Fresh Noodles), but spaghetti works great too.  I also try to have a baguette nearby for mopping up all the tasty sauce.

Uncle Edz

Although I've never tried it, extra jumbo shrimp could likely be used in place of the crab.  I know that Thanh Long serves garlic prawns, and my BFF tells me he prefers the prawns to the crab for ease of eating.  When it comes to eating, shopping and Trivial Pursuit, my BFF is hard to beat!

And while I do love cats, a jaguar is more my speed. . .a black one (preferably an XKR-S), especially if I was looking for something young, sleek, and ultra-hot!

Fried Tofu with Chives

Another food that comes to mind when I think about what Mom cooked is fried tofu with chives.  It was something that was hurriedly made after a long day of work, and while it was something very simple, I recall being happy to see it on the table.

There are several keys to finding success when cooking this dish.  The first, and most important, is safety.  Like anything containing water, tofu will splatter when it meets the hot oil in a skillet.  A trick to minimizing your chances of being scalded is to slice the tofu and pack it on paper towels the day before you plan to cook it.  While this could definitely be done quickly just before cooking, allowing the tofu to drain overnight is preferable.

The second trick is to use garlic chives.  Garlic chives have flat blades, rather than cylindrical stalks.  Cut the chives in 1-inch pieces.  Any shorter, and they will get lost.  Any longer, and they will be cumbersome to eat (you might resemble a catfish at some point).

Because Mom was pressed for time, we usually just ate the fried tofu with a generous squirt of shoyu.  But if you can spare an extra 2 minutes, make the sauce.  The sauce will give people the impression you slaved all day!

 
click on recipe title for printable recipe
Mom's Fried Tofu

1 block tofu
oil
handful garlic chives, cut in in 1" pieces
1 tbsp shoyu

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp mirin

1 tsp shao hsing wine

Begin the night before by slicing tofu block in half.  Slice each half into 1/2" thick slices.  Pack slices between paper towels and refrigerate overnight.  Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet (no more than 1/4" deep).  While oil is heating, combine shoyu, oyster sauce, mirin and shao hsing wine in a small bowl.  Set aside.  Add tofu slices to heated oil in a single layer, frying in 2 batches if necessary.  Fry until tofu is golden brown and edges are crispy.  Turn over and fry other side in same manner.   Sprinkle chives over top of tofu, continuing to fry tofu until golden brown.  Remove tofu and any chives sticking to tofu to a serving platter.  Turn off heat, and carefully add sauce.  It will sizzle and sputter.  Allow to bubble for a minute, then pour over tofu slices.  Serve.