Mochi Balls

Spring break is just about over.  It's been quite cold and damp, but something tells me it is like this most every year.  This year just seems a lot colder than previous years.  I spent most of my break wearing socks in the house.

This break was not without some fun.  I went out with two friends.  One of them lives here, but our schedules are usually out of sync, so breaks are the only time we can have lunch.  And I was honored he chose to spend his only free lunch in Hilo with me. 

My other friend outing was a nice breakfast with Dee.  Dee lives on another island, but she came home to spend some time with her mother.  Dee usually makes a quick stop to see me when she is back, but it was really nice to sit down with her and catch up.  I guess she has forgiven me for nearly hosting her demise, although I maintain my innocence since things were beyond my control (While taking a shower at my apartment, she slipped and fell.  That same evening, she got a reaction from gulf rock shrimp which we had for dinner.).  And in case anyone is wondering, I ate the same shrimp and did not have any reaction.  Shit, maybe I shouldn't have brought it up again.

The other fun event of my break was getting together with a few friends.  One of my friends brought back a bottle of sake from her recent trip to Japan and wanted to share it.  Since she was sharing sake, I decided to make a few things to nibble on (I cannot drink without having snacks).  Everyone must have been thinking the same thing because we ended up with tons of food. 

The Keeper brought a tray of baked salmon, which I hope to replicate when D1 comes home.  We also had Indian food, Vietnamese food, and a lovely local goat cheese with herbs.  I made a cheesecake in the Instant Pot because one of my friends was intrigued by the idea.  I wanted her to taste it for herself . 

Since sake was one of the reasons for us getting together, I thought a Japanese-ish dessert would be a good match.  My first thought was to make andagi since I was already planning to deep fry won ton.  Nakaz had been experimenting with andagi the previous week, so andagi was fresh in my mind.  And then I remembered fried mochi balls.

Fried mochi balls look like andagi, but because they are made with mochiko (glutinous rice flour), they are dense and chewy instead of cake-like.  The stiff dough contains a moderate amount of sugar, so there is no need to roll the fried balls in additional sugar.  These mochi balls are similar to cascaron (Filipino fried mochi, often served in multiples on skewers), but they are crispy on the outside.  Unlike other deep fried foods, these mochi balls stay crispy for a long time.  It turned out to be a good choice.  At the end of the evening, the mochi balls were still crispy.

 click on recipe title for printable recipe

Mochi Balls

     2 c mochiko

     3/4 c sugar

     1 1/2 tsp baking powder

     1/2 tsp salt

     3/4 c water

     oil for deep frying

Mix together.  Using a #70 disher (about 2 tsp), drop dough into hot oil.  Fry until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.

Chocolate Mochi

Today is a holiday!  Yay!!!

Last week was a busy week.  I was thinking all the parent festivities were behind me, but I forgot about senior parent night.  I guess I excluded myself mentally since I'm not the parent of a senior, but I forgot about my other responsibilities.  Anyway, senior parent night was on Wednesday.  The parents were informed about the major activities happening for their children this year.  They were also given fair warning about the $$$ of prom bids this spring.  I already had a parent complain.  Well, prom participation IS voluntary.  And I should note that prom participation costs are a fraction of an iPhone.  I see so many kids at school flaunting their smartphones.  When I went to high school, nobody had phones so we had no choice but to pay attention to the lessons.

The Help went to Honolulu this weekend for some family stuff, so I had the weekend to myself.  My 10-hour day in Kona ended up costing me over $2k.  Of course, this included a car repair.  Ouch!  Since I had some time, I walked around the dealership to look at what my next steps might be.  The new x3s are nice.  I wonder when they began having air vents to the back seat.

Costco was awful.  It was packed.  It took me forever to find parking, and I had to park twice (I bought a bed, had to drive my car to the front of the store to load the bed, then I had to park again so I could go back into the store for other things).  They also didn't have any carts.  While I was waiting, I saw KikukatMom and KikukatDad exiting the store.  I helped them unload in the pouring rain and then took their cart.  While in Costco, I did run into some nice people like Van Gogh.  Van Gogh and I both agreed that Friday after work is the best time to head over to Costco.

On Sunday, since The Help was still away, I baked.  My original plan was to make snickerdoodles for D1 to cheer her up, but since I had recently opened a large container of unsweetened cocoa powder, I decided to make a tray of chocolate mochi for KikukatMom, who is finally feeling better after her surgery.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Chocolate Mochi

     1 box (16 oz) mochiko

     2 c sugar

     1/4 c cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)

     1 tbsp baking soda

     1 can (13-14 oz) coconut milk

     about 1 1/2 c milk

     1/2 c chocolate syrup

     1/4 c butter, melted

     2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13" pan.  Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl.  Pour coconut milk into a large measuring cup.  Add enough milk to equal 24 fluid ounces.  Combine with chocolate syrup, melted butter, and eggs.  Add to dry ingredients.  Use a whisk to mix until smooth.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour.  Cut into pieces when completely cool.