Okazuya Meat Loaf

One of the local okazuya's (now closed) would have meat loaf on their line.  I don't remember meat loaf being on okazuya offerings as a kid.

Panko Meat Loaf

click on recipe title for printable recipe

 

     1 1/2 lbs ground beef

     1/2 c panko

     1 egg

     1/3 c onion, finely chopped

     1 tbsp brown sugar

     1 tsp salt

     black pepper

     1/4 c water

     1 can condensed tomato soup, divided

Grease a 9" loaf pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients with 1/2 can of undiluted tomato soup.  Reserve remainder for later.  Place mixture into prepared loaf pan and bake 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and spread remaining soup evenly over top of loaf.  Bake additional 10 minutes.

Under Pressure: Almost Cafe 100 Beef Stew

Last Friday, I got a frantic call from D1.  She wanted my salsa recipe.  I chuckled silently to myself.  She goes to college in the land of salsa, good, real salsa, and she wants to make the salsa I make.  But being the good mommy that I am, I pointed her in the direction where she could get the recipe any time.

I know I haven't been too good about blogging recently.  I just haven't been able to do it weekly like I used to (a few years ago, I had the gumption to do it twice per week).  Blame other hobbies and having a shitload of other things to do, as well as poor time management on my part.  But D1's call reminded me that being able to provide her with recipes of "home food" (or at least a place where she can go to get them without relying on her own organizational skills) is a good reason to try to post regularly.

Back in 2013, I posted a recipe for beef stew made in a crock pot.  I went on at length about my history with beef stew.  It's been about three years since that post, and a lot has changed.  I will never get to have my mother's "natural" stew again.  I'm not saying that I would want to eat it, but I would love to have her offer some to me.  That won't happen, and I have very little confidence that my father would actually know how to make it.  And if he offered me some, I'd refuse it anyway.

I still don't like beef stew very much, but I cook it more now than I used to.  But after D1's call, I thought I'd be remiss in not posting a beef stew recipe she could easily make.  According to The Help and UJames, this version tastes very much like the one served at Cafe 100, an iconic Hilo drive-in.  Many Hilo ex-pats make it a point to stop there when they come home for a visit.  And if, like D1, you don't own a pressure cooker, you can make this the traditional way. The pressure cooker advantage is being able to cook and serve a pot of beef stew for dinner in the short time between the end of the standard work day and dinner.

So after D1 had a chance to go to the website and check out the salsa recipe, I received another call from her.  This time, she asked, "Mom, do you really put in onions, bell peppers and olives, in the salsa?  Did you really put stewed tomatoes in the salsa I ate at home?  I don't think I eat any of those things."  I told her she did indeed eat all of those things.  Now I'm hoping she won't call and ask about the stewed tomatoes in this recipe!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

 Almost Cafe 100:  Beef Stew

     2 lbs boneless beef stew meat
     flour
     oil
     1 c water
     1 onion, cut in chunks
     1 stalk celery, sliced
     3 carrots, cut in chunks
     2 russet potatoes, cut in chunks
     1 15 oz. can stewed tomatoes (broken up with hand blender or kitchen shears)
     1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
     1 tsp salt
     1/4 tsp pepper
     1 tsp sugar

Pressure Cooker instructions:  Dust meat in flour and brown in heated oil.  Drain excess fat.  Add water, bring to a boil and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes (may go up to 30 minutes if meat chunks are large).  Use natural release method to lower pressure.  Add vegetables and other ingredients and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes.  Use cold water release method to lower pressure.  Thicken gravy by mixing 1 tbsp flour with some water and add to stew.  Return to a boil, then simmer until ready to serve.

Traditional instructions:  Dust meat in flour and brown in heated oil.  Drain excess fat.  Add water, bring to a boil and simmer about 1 hour.  Add vegetables and other ingredients and continue cooking until vegetables are cooked.  Thicken gravy by mixing 1 tbsp flour with some water and add to stew.  Return to a boil, then simmer until ready to serve.

 

Instant Pot instructions:  Heat Instant Pot on Saute (high/more) setting.  Add oil.  Dust meat in flour and brown in heated oil.  Drain excess fat.  Add water, bring to a boil and cook at manual pressure (high) for 12 minutes and 5 minutes NPR.  At this time, fat may be removed from liquid.  Add vegetables and other ingredients.  Cook at manual pressure (high) for 3 minutes and 5 minutes NPR.  Combine 1 tbsp flour with some water.  Place Instant Pot on saute setting (low is usually enough if stew is already hot) and add flour slurry to stew.  Simmer until ready to serve.

Is it Tomato Beef or Beef Tomato?

In a few days, the seniors will no longer be seniors.  They will be graduates.  Wow.

This year has gone by quickly.  A year ago, I knew none of my current students, and I was eagerly counting the days I had left to work in that office.   There were very few bittersweet feelings. . .I was so glad the year would be ending soon.  When you are in an environment where many people want to be the boss, you end up with a bunch of assholes giving needless commands for the sole purpose of attempting to demonstrate their authority. . .clerical staff trying to levy sanctions based on their warped understanding of educational protocols and law.  Just an example. . .bosses having to mediate between clerk and teacher (not me. . .I just watched).  It was nice to leave that kind of toxic environment and be with students.

This year, I'm still counting down, but the countdown is bittersweet.  I am going to miss the class of 2014.  My students have taught me so much, and I feel I have become a better teacher because of the lessons they gave me.  I hope I was able to return the favor to them and that I met their expectations of what a good teacher should be.

Sniff, sniff. . .I think I am about to cry now.  I hope I can be strong and not cry on their last day.  Graduation is such a big occasion, and I don't want to be remembered as the crybaby teacher. 

This is going to be a busy week.  This evening is the athletic awards program.  Thursday will be the "jumping in the pool" assembly for seniors.  This is a big moment for seniors.  They wait four years just to get to jump in the pool!  Jumping in the pool for PE isn't quite the same.  Commencement ceremonies take place Friday evening.  I will be there to send them off. . .just as I was there to welcome them on the first day of school.

Work notwithstanding, my own kids have a lot going on this week too.  D1 has several school functions today, and so does D2.  D1 and I will also need to be at commencement.  Knowing how busy this week will be, I decided not to expect much in the way of cooking.  The m.o. for this week will be pick-up. . .Cham Cham, Leung's, Cafe 100. . .all fair game.  So to ease my feelings of guilt, I made this for dinner last night.  Beef Tomato/Tomato Beef on noodles is something we all enjoy.  Its even easier if its made without the noodles, but since the Ds love chow mein noodles, I rarely omit the noodle part.

I'm not sure how the rest of the world sees this dish, but it is a favorite selection on the menu of most Chinese restaurants in Hawaii.  It is also one of the few dishes all of us will willingly eat.  D1 will eat everything but the tomatoes.  D2 will eat only noodles, broccoli, and baby corn.  But there is something for everyone here, and when I make this, there are hardly any leftovers.

Kikukat Mom occasionally made this, probably at the request of Kikukat Dad, but I'm sure her heart wasn't into it. . .she won't eat onion or bell pepper so that certainly put a damper on her enthusiasm.  Also, when she did make it, she never made the noodles.  It was always eaten over rice.  Not being a huge fan of vegetables back then, I showed no enthusiasm for this dish and have no fond memories.

When I got older, I came across a recipe in a cookbook which sounded like something I could eat.  By then I was eating all kinds of vegetables (except peas, which I still do not eat).  I added the baby corn at D2's request.  I really didn't think much of this dish, but after posting a picture of this on facebook, I was floored by the amount of comments and the # of requests.  The next day, both Ds each left with a container of this for their teachers (and my friends) who had asked, via facebook, for a taste.

The other aspect of my facebook post which left me speechless was the debate over the name of this dish.  I remember hearing "Tomato Beef" all the time, but many of my friends insisted the correct order was "Beef Tomato".  One friend, a logical tita indeed, pointed out that a closely related dish is called "Beef Broccoli", not "Broccoli Beef".

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Beef Tomato or Tomato Beef Chow Mein

     1 lb flank steak
     3 tbsp shoyu, divided
     1 tbsp shao xing wine
     2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
     1 1/2 tsp sugar
     1 clove garlic, minced
     1/2" ginger, grated
     1/2 onion, sliced
     1 head broccoli, peeled and cut into florets
     1 stalk celery, sliced thin
     1 bell pepper, sliced into 1/2" strips
     1 can baby corn, drained
     2 stalks green onion, sliced in 1/2" lengths
     1 c chicken broth
     2 tbsp cornstarch
     2 tsp salt
     1 tbsp brown sugar, packed
     1 tsp oyster sauce
     2 tsp ketchup
     3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
     20-30 oz cooked chow mein noodles

Freeze flank steak for 30 minutes.  Slice against grain into pieces (2 1/2" x 1" x 1/4").  Combine with 1 tbsp shoyu, shao xing, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, sugar, garlic, and ginger.  Let stand at least 30 minutes.  When meat is nearly done marinating, place chow mein noodles in a baking dish and heat in a 300 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.  While noodles are heating, heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat.  Stir fry flank steak pieces until done.  Remove from wok and set aside.  Add  onions, broccoli, and celery to wok.  Stir fry 1 minute.  Add bell pepper and stir fry for another minute.  Add baby corn and green onion and stir fry for another minute.  Combine chicken broth, cornstarch, 2 tbsp shoyu, salt, brown sugar, oyster sauce, and ketchup.  Pour over vegetables in wok.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Return beef to pan.  Add tomatoes.  Heat for a minute.  Pour over heated noodles.

This year, D2's school did not have their usual ho`olaule`a.  Instead, they did `aha mele (song festival).  I'm guessing the `aha mele choice over ho`olaule`a was done to conserve instructional time, as the practicing takes away from classroom time.  Having been notified of the `aha mele earlier last week, I was unable to get a sub.  Another elementary school had their May Day program on the same day so I can imagine how many teacher-parents needed subs.  Administration gave me their blessings to attend (what did I say...I have THE best bosses), but it would have been difficult and would've taxed the personnel resources of my department.  Luckily, The Help and Mr. Dependable were able to make it.

This will be the last elementary school May Day for D2.  In a few months,  D2 will be matriculating at another school.  It hasn't always been easy for D2 to follow D1.  They are just so different, and I can imagine the shock people have when they realize D2 is NOT a miniature D1.  I'm grateful that her 5th grade teachers gave her a chance to participate in the last ho`olaule`a as an island princess, something D1 never did.  

And for the second time while writing this week's post, I'm feeling like I'm about to cry.

Crock Pot Food: Beef & Barley Soup

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.  I broke down and invited some old aunties over for a simple lunch.  I didn't go nuts (local style), and I limited the food to traditional fare:  turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, candied yams, roasted asparagus, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pumpkin crunch cake.  Everyone took home enough leftovers for at least another meal, and I was left with a manageable amount of everything.  I'm sure my mom pooh-poohed the amount of food, but I think I made more than enough.  Kikukat Mom grew up in Hawaii, so by her measure, if I didn't make enough to hold the party 3x over, I really didn't make enough.  Well, I don't care if she thought that because the whole thing was over by 2:40!  That gave The Help enough time to help Kikukat Mom with her printer troubles.

It was nice to see the old aunties.  ABetty (of corned beef hash fame) is doing much better and moving around well. . .well enough to help herself to a second serving.  AJanice asked me if there was a book she could get which defines slang and text jargon.  She said she is currently reading a J. K. Rowling book with all kinds of profanity.  "I know what fuck and shit are, but I don't know what snogging means," said AJanice.  I had to laugh.  AJanice earned a living as a speech therapist just outside the Beltway, so "fuck" and "shit" were enunciated with utmost precision as ABetty looked on unfazed.  ABetty, the older of the two is closing in on 90, but even she will say a "fuck" here and there.  If I ever live that long. . .

The Ds popped in for a short time to get changed for a brunch.  D1 looked towering in her heels, and D2 looked so pretty in a floral dress.  Nice to see her wearing something other than a t-shirt and shorts.  Neither D is big on turkey so I hope their brunch served other things as well.

Even though the leftovers were manageable for me, I'm turkey'd out for a while.  I decided to buy a turkey breast roast (even if the whole turkey was much cheaper).  Nobody here really cares for dark meat so I figured the thighs and drumstick would only get in the way.  Glad I did.  The turkey breast cooked in under 3 hours, and because I brined it, it was juicy and seasoned throughout.  3M offered to deep fry my turkey, and I may take her up on it next year...if I buy a whole turkey.

I'm also kinda ham'd out.  I made Sugar Bath Ham.  The Help and I had ham sandwiches for a few days.  I like ham, but after 3 days, even ham loses its welcome.  I'm looking forward to eating "plain" food now.

Oahu and Kauai were under flash flood watch this past weekend, and I couldn't help but wonder if the rains would eventually reach us here.  While the weather wasn't all that great, it was primarily dry.  The Help watched a lot of football in between doing his chores (taking care of animals, washing car, etc.).  I managed to throw together this soup in the crock pot.  It was a nice break from turkey & ham.  It also went well with the leftover rolls from turkey day (giant bag from Safeway was $6.99).  Although the instructions say to initially add the barley to part of the vegetables on the stove, I'm quite certain everything could be just thrown into the crock pot. 

With the craziness of Thanksgiving behind us, its now time to do the countdown until the next break:  Winter Vacation!!!  15 work days stands between now and another break.  If I call in sick or take personal leave, I can shave off a day or two too!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Beef & Barley Soup

     1- 1 1/2 lbs beef chuck, cut in 3/4" cubes

     1 tbsp oil

     1 c chopped onion

     1 c diced carrots

     1/2 c diced celery

     1 clove garlic, minced

     12-16 oz mushrooms, cut in quarters (or smaller)

     3 sprigs thyme

     1/2 c pearl barley, rinsed and drained

     1 can beef broth

     1 can chicken broth

     2 c hot water

     1/8 tsp pepper

     1 tsp salt

     fresh Italian parsley

Heat oil in large skillet.  Saute beef cubes til no longer pink.  Using a slotted spoon, remove meat to 4-quart or larger crock pot.  Add beef broth, cover, and cook on high.  Using same skillet, add onion, carrots, and celery.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add garlic, mushrooms, and thyme.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, place at least half of vegetable mixture in crock pot.  To remaining vegetable mixture, add pearl barley and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil then add to crock pot, along with hot water, pepper, and salt.  Cook on high for 5 hours.  Remove thyme sprigs before serving.  Garnish with parsley.

Crock Pot Food: Beef Stew

Now that there is a definite nip in the air, I'm all psyched to cook hearty, cold weather food.  And there is nothing that screams "hearty" like beef stew.

Before I go on, let me get this off my chest:  I am not a huge fan of beef stew.  I am not kidding.   Yes, I grew up in Hawaii.  Yes, beef stew is served at practically every self-respecting "local" restaurant.  Yes, it was served in my house growing up.  Yet, I am not a big fan.

So why would someone who is clearly not a fan of beef stew be dedicating a precious weekly post to the unofficial most popular home-cooked meal in Hawaii?  Its because the majority of people I share my house with are huge fans.

My dislike for stew goes back years decades.  I remember my mom making it.  I remember my grandma going to the emergency room because she nearly sliced her index finger off while trying to cut out all the fat from pieces of stew meat.  I even remember my older cousin trying to force me to eat a bowl of it, indignantly telling me after the 3rd time I declined, "My mother made it."  I still didn't eat it.

The stew I grew up with was rather thin, and it didn't have much color.  The meat chunks tended to be large and fatty.  The vegetables were huge and it seemed to be more liquid that chunks.  Maybe that explains why stew seemed like it lasted forever, another demerit for stew.  We weren't poor, so it beats the crap outta me why my parents HAD to make a huge pot of stew every time.  Kikukat Mom did not make stew with any tomato base either.  It was "brown" or "natural", as Kikukat Dad once called it.  I can't remember what kind of stew my grandma made...main thing it didn't contain any finger bits! 

When I was living on my own in Honolulu (when I started working), I decided to have another go at stew.  I bought one of those packet mixes and followed the directions.  It was horrible...there was some spice in there that I found irritating.  I even tried some stew special at Zippy's.  It was nasty too.  I decided to avoid making/eating stew.  This worked out okay because Mr. Dependable didn't like stew either!

And then the Ds came along.  Having dinner at my parents' house, they both ate "stool soup" and would come home raving.  Ugh.  I was actually impressed at how fitting the term "stool soup" was for it because that's what I was thinking for years.  And one day, the unthinkable happened.  Someone bought me dinner from Cafe 100. . .and it was beef stew!!!  I can't remember the exact situation, but I was forced to eat it, and thats when things began to look a little brighter.

Cafe 100 beef stew has a tomato base.  Eating it, I realized that stew tastes pretty decent when eaten with a scoop of potato salad.  I also noticed that there were pieces of meat and vegetables enrobed in a hearty sauce (not thin and watery).  Turned out that the Ds weren't picky...they loved tomato-based stew too.

Since then, I've actually gone back to making and (sometimes) eating beef stew.  I've even made it for parties, as I've come to realize that some of my uncles love beef stew (one of them goes there weekly to get it).  I've made it in a pressure cooker for a quick meal (must have a fat separator), and most recently, I made it in the crock pot.  The crock pot method works best if you have enough forethought to make it a day before you plan to eat it.  Chilling the mixture before reheating the next day will allow you to remove the hardened fat.  The best part about crock pot stew is that the meat does not require browning prior to cooking.

My parents still make the same stew I grew up eating, and I still decline (politely) when they offer some to me.  But now, I make my own stew and offer it to them (and they always accept).  The Ds both boldly proclaim "grandma makes the best stew".  I suppose I should prepare myself for the day one of the Ds offers me some"natural" stew.  Blecchhhhh.

What kind of stew did you grow up eating?

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Crock Pot Beef Stew

     2 lbs beef stew meat
     1 large onion, diced
     1 c celery, sliced
     2 large carrots, cut in 1" chunks
     4 potatoes, cut in 1 1/2" chunks
     3 tbsp minute tapioca
     1 tbsp sugar
     2 1/2 tsp salt
     1/2 tsp pepper
     1 can tomato soup combined with 2 c water

In a 5 quart crock pot, layer ingredients in the above order.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Refrigerate overnight.  Spoon off hardened fat.  Reheat on high for 2 hours, stirring after 20 minutes.

Way to go, Vikings!

First football victory (that I know of. . .and I will be the first to admit I don't know a whole lot about high school football) over the Kealakehe Waveriders!  The final score of this defensive brawl . . . 6-3.

And what great timing. . .Homecoming!

Batayaki Fever

I'm finally back at work for a seemingly endless stretch of days.  Its gonna be a brutal stretch.  43 more days of work until the end of the school year, and the only holiday in sight is Memorial Day.  For you non-Zone people, its 40 days and no holiday. . .Memorial Day will be the day just before the official beginning of your summer (I'm so jealous).

I think it was overkill with the anticipation of Easter (to me, Easter=all kinds of candy & sweets), but I feel like the only stuff I've been making has been sweets.  Right now, we have Easter sugar cookies (bunnies, eggs, chicks), orange slice cookies, brownies, hopping bunny buns, and mandarin orange cake.  I HAD TO buy a few boxes of Cadbury creme eggs too.  I wonder how many bags of Brach's pastel malted milk eggs Brucie boy bought this year.  Neither of us have  blood sugar problems. . .yet.  There is also a big box of See's Easter candy and some jellies from Grandma Help. 

I was unable to get motivated to cook dinner on Easter.  My excuse is I had a Dorito Locos taco from Taco Bell in the mid-afternoon, and that put me under.  The Help shelled out big $s for a gorgeous rib eye roast, but I could not bring myself to cook it.  I need to stop tweaking sugar and snap out of this high!  I need to get inspired to cook regular food again. If a rib eye roast won't do it, then maybe batayaki will, after all, the best batayaki is made with thinly sliced rib eye.

The kikukat house loves batayaki nights because there is something for everyone.  Batayaki nights provide an opportunity to exercise will power. . .you need to pace yourself with the cooking-eating cycle.

For those of you not familiar with batayaki, please allow me to explain.  Batayaki goes by several other names:  teppanyaki, yakiniku.  Thinly sliced meats and vegetables are cooked on a griddle which has been primed with butter.  Once cooked, the meats and vegetables are dipped in a shoyu-based sauce and eaten with hot rice.  Batayaki is a cannibalized word:  bata meaning butter and yaki meaning to cook.  Now I'm wondering if batayaki is a Hawaii word.

In the 70s, 80s & 90s, Restaurant Fuji in the Hilo Hotel was THE place to go out and enjoy a teppanyaki dinner.  Yukata-clad servers would bring a giant plate of raw food and a small dish with a block of butter to the table.  There were two options for teppanyaki:  teppanyaki which had an assortment of meat and some seafood and umi-no-ko which had only seafood.  The servers  would fire up the propane and begin the cooking process.  This is not the same as what you get at Benihana.  There were no fire knife theatrics.

To be honest, I never enjoyed teppanyaki at Restaurant Fuji.  I would always be disappointed when we got seated at a teppanyaki table because that meant I wouldn't be able to order anything from the regular menu.  They had two items on their regular menu that were awesome:  shrimp tempura and grilled butterfish.  I would have much preferred those things instead of batayaki.

When I lived in Honolulu in the 90s, there were (and still are) tons of yakiniku places.  Many of my family members would rave about Edokko or Yakiniku Camellia.  I went to one of those places with some friends, and I was not impressed.  It was a little different from Restaurant Fuji in that you went to a long buffet to load up your plate with raw items and then return to your table (with grill) to cook what was on your plate.  Same thing...cook food, dip in sauce, eat with rice.  Boring.

It didn't occur to me until I was older (close to 30) why I didn't enjoy batayaki/teppanyaki/yakiniku.  I never liked the dipping sauce.  The sauces were either too sour or just blecchhh.  The turning point happened when Mr. Dependable's friends suggested a batayaki dinner (I wasn't enthusiastic about this) and they insisted on bringing the sauce.  The sauce they brought was almost perfect and changed my whole take on batayaki.  For the first time in over 2 decades, I realized batayaki was something I could like. 

If you were lucky enough to have disposable income when Restaurant Fuji went out of business (mid/late 90s), you might have been able to score a table with a built-in propane griddle.  I don't think most people were so lucky (there were less than a dozen).  For most people, the most popular way to have batayaki at home is to use a table top griddle (I think mine is made by Presto) upon which a generous pat of butter is placed.  Some people use a frying pan on a butane burner for table top cooking.  If the cooking part isn't so important, everything can also be cooked in a skillet on a range and brought to the table already cooked.  I do the latter when I'm trying to finish the leftovers on the 2nd night. . .after the cooking drama from the 1st night is over.

What gets cooked varies from family to family.  We normally have  beef and pork (batayaki meat is sliced paper-thin).  Sometimes we have chicken.  Salmon is a non-negotiable.  Scallops and shrimp are good too.  I like eggplant (takes long to cook), won bok (napa cabbage), bean sprouts (mung), and mushrooms.  The best mushrooms are alii oyster (eryngii) mushrooms.  I've been told that some families will even cook sliced hot dogs and kamaboko (pink & white fishcake).  Mr. Dependable liked to have zucchini (yuck).  D1 will eat anything except mushrooms and eggplant.  D2 will eat only the leafy part of the won bok.

There is also great variation with the dipping sauce (each diner gets their own bowl. . .a community bowl would be disgusting).  Most sauces have some element of pucker, and in many cases, its too sour for my taste.  Ironically, pucker was the missing factor when Mr. Dependable's friends came over.  The sauce they brought was tasty but lacked any hint of tartness.  I fixed it with some minor adjustment of the ingredient amounts and the addition of lemon juice.  The grated daikon gives the sauce a slight heat, which is also important.

Speaking of heat. . .everytime I think we are going to start seeing warmer weather, a new storm system comes around and gives us days of rain.  I'm still having to turn on the electric blanket every night.  It doesn't matter what the weather is like because batayaki is something that can be enjoyed year-round. 

click on recipe title for printable recipe

KCs Batayaki Sauce

     1 c shoyu
     1/4 c sugar
     1/4 c mirin
     1 c chicken broth
     juice of 1/4 lemon

     5" piece of daikon, peeled & grated

Combine all ingredients, except grated daikon, in a medium saucepan.  Heat gently, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  To serve, place desired amount of grated daikon in a bowl.  Ladle sauce over.  Replenish sauce and daikon as needed.

Regarding the food in the pics:  Costco sells thinly sliced rib eye (yes, they have prime beef).  KTA and Marukai sell thinly sliced beef and pork.  Doesn't the salmon look gorgeous?  Its wild Alaskan king salmon courtesy of cousin Kento and his fabulous, non-fish-eater wife Julie.  They go on a yearly fishing expedition to the Waterfall Resort in Alaska and are generous in sharing their spoils.  Thank you!

Bi Bim Kook Soo

I had a special treat at work this week.  Two pals from my former office in Honolulu came to do a training for us.  I can't say I've ever stopped missing them.  Work has not ever been as good as the days I when I worked with them.  They are fun to be with, but they are also very efficient and know what they are doing.  Gosh, I miss those days!

I would like to thank fellow blogger Kellie Michelle for mentioning me in her blog.  Please check out her blog.  Her Sunday Lunch looked really yummy.  She made filled strawberries for dessert!

Okay, back to reality.  It is now October, and the weather here is hot!  It really doesn't feel like October at all.  Isn't October supposed to be cool?  I was actually going to blog about prime rib this week, but given how hot its been, I thought something lighter and cooler would be more appropriate. 

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Bi Bim Kook Soo

     1/2 - 1 lb cooked beef teriyaki, sliced in thin strips

     2 pkgs somen, cooked and drained

     2 bunches watercress, parboiled and chopped

     2 japanese cucumbers, sliced thin and salted

     sesame oil

Mix noodles with sesame oil to prevent sticking.  Squeeze water out of vegetables and combine with noodles.

     1/4 c vegetable oil

     1 tsp sesame oil

     3/4 c sugar

     1 c shoyu

     3 cloves garlic, smashed

     1/2 c sliced green onion

Combine vegetable oil, sesame oil, sugar, shoyu, garlic and green onion in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Pour over noodles and vegetables.  Add beef teriyaki.  Toss gently.

Oyster Sauce Burgers

Conversation of the week:
The Help, "Do you want to go to Ross?"
Kikukat, "No, I told you. . .I gave up Ross for Lent."
The Help, "You're not even Catholic!"

I may not be a regular at Christmas mass, but I am observing Lent beyond the reaches of the Catholic church.  I have decided to give up my weekly cruise through Ross, and so far, I've been managing okay.  It was an easier decision to give up Ross than to give up pork or cake or ideeli shopping.

This past week was a bummer altogether.  GP had a family emergency so he bailed, leaving me and Sensei to cover for him.  He couldn't have picked a shittier time to leave because the doodoo hit the fan from all angles while he was gone.  The phone rang constantly, and we even entertained office visitors for him.  I also came "this close" to yelling at someone (the same someone I yelled at last May and the ONLY someone I ever yelled at in my current job).  The one sliver of sunlight from my work week was checking out my friend NK's Mini Clubman.  Cool!  Maybe I can get one when I grow up, although I think I'd prefer the Countryman.

The commencement of my spring break was delayed because I inadvertently volunteered to attend a work-related function in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  This took 10+ hours(spread over two days) out of my Spring Break, but it was actually a breeze of fresh air after the nasty week I had.  I got to see my pal CR, which made the entire time worth it.  I miss her.

It was also nice that Sensei was there for the first leg(4 hours) so I had company for part of the drive and someone to bitch with while there.  In spite of being only on-time (and not early), Sensei and I arrived significantly before Uncle.  By the time Uncle arrived, everyone was seated.  Shame!  I had to brave it alone for the second leg, but it worked out okay because I got to spend time with CR.  I also got to walk through the Jaggar Museum.  The last time I was there was when I was in elementary school!

This week I'm sharing a recipe which has never let me down.  It makes the tastiest hamburger patty which can be served all kinds of different ways. . .with rice and a fried egg in a loco moco (scroll all the way to the bottom of this post to see an unflattering picture of a loco moco), or in a bun.  I normally make a single recipe, which will yield about 8 good-sized patties (for placing in a bun).

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Oyster Sauce Hamburger Patties

     1 lb ground beef

     2 slices bread, torn into bits

     1 egg

     2 tbsp chopped onion

     2 tbsp mayonnaise

     2 tbsp oyster sauce

     1 tbsp shoyu

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.  Form into patties and pan-fry.  Make gravy with drippings if necessary.

loco moco

I already told you this is an unflattering pic.

Beef Burgundy

Happy New Year!!

Hope everyone has recovered from the holiday celebrations.  I've been recovering from cooking like crazy this weekend.  For the party yesterday at AEs house, I made fried chicken, pumpkin crunch, tropical fruit bars, and kinako puffs.  There was the usual potato-spaghetti noodle salad, meat sticks and barely-cooked hibachi shrimp.  Any guesses as to who cooked the shrimp?  Why is it that some people have no fricken clue as to what properly cooked food looks like.  How can you cook shrimp on a hibachi and make it look like it was poached?  Clueless.  Then there were the others who showed up 1 or 2 hours late.  Hello?!?

I need to change gears and focus on my plans for 2012. In a few days I'll be back at work and counting down the days until spring break (actually, the postings will be out before spring break.).  I'm sure it won't arrive soon enough.  Because I'm anticipating a very busy 2012, Kikukat blog will be updated weekly (Mondays).  This will give me time to put in a little more detail about whats happening with the family, which was one of the original intentions of this blog.

Yesterday's party at AEs was in the garage/patio.  It was chilly.  I kept my Juicy on the whole time, and I saw others going to cars to get sweaters and jackets.  I wasn't worried about the pumpkin crunch spoiling because it was so cold.  In fact, the weather for most of my vacation sucked.  When it wasn't butt-clenching cold it was raining.  When it wasn't raining, it might as well have been because everything felt clammy.  The Honolulu family remarked that Hilo was a lot colder than Salt Lake.

I suppose this is normal winter weather, but I'm stuck in tropical vacation mentality where I think anywhere in Hawaii should be warm all year.  I don't enjoy being cold all the time, even when I'm indoors.  Most homes here aren't heated, and its inconvenient to make a fire every evening.  My best defense against the cold weather is to cook stick-to-the-bones food (and drink alcohol, but I'd be reported to CPS if the Ds had a glass of hooch for dinner too).  A few weeks ago, I tried a recipe for Beef Burgundy, which I found in a local cookbook.

I decided to try that recipe because I was intrigued by the salt pork in the list of ingredients.  Up to this point, my experience with salt pork was limited to Laura Ingalls Wilder books.  I had salt pork earlier in Safeway and wondered how it could be used since we're not in the Big Woods.  Out of convenience, I used the entire package, which was a bit more (but less than double) than called for in the recipe.  I didn't want to be left with a tiny piece of it.

Overall, I liked this dish.  It was a very meaty, hearty stew with a mild wine flavor.  I'm really not a big fan of beef stew, in spite of that being a staple on the majority of restaurant menus here.  If and when I do break down and eat it, I much prefer tomato-based versions to the "brown" variety.  Oddly enough, I grew up eating "brown" stew.

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Beef Burgundy

     3 lbs beef (I used boneless shortribs, but sirloin tip,
          chuck, or round steak can be used)

     10-12 oz salt pork, chopped (recipe said could
          substitute with 8 oz bacon)

     2 cloves garlic, smashed

     3/4 c red wine

     1 c hot water

     2 bay leaves

     1 tbsp dried oregano leaves

     1 onion, diced

     2 tbsp butter

     1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

     2 lbs mushrooms, cut into large pieces

Cut meat into 1 1/2" cubes.  Dredge meat in flour.  Brown salt pork and garlic.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.  Add additional oil to pan.  Brown floured beef cubes.  Add salt pork back to pan.  Add wine, water, bay leaves, and oregano.  Cover and cook for 1 hour.  Remove bay leaves.  At this point, beef and liquid can be refrigerated overnight.  Remove as much fat as possible.  In a skillet, melt butter and brown onions.  Add mushrooms and cook until liquid is released.  Add to beef.  Add tomato paste.  Season to taste.  Cook an additional hour.

Kay's Ono Spaghetti

birthday girl

Before I start bitching about my weekend, I'd like to wish D1 a happy birthday.  Somehow, she manages to do well for the 7-hours of each  weekday known as "school", but ask her what animals you'd expect to see in Alaska and your head will start spinning with the answer.  She drives me mental, but I love her dearly.  The full day of labor and years of recovery (still recovering!) she put me through was worth it.  I'd also like to wish happy birthday to Aunty Betty (of corned beef hash fame), who shares the same birthday as D1.  They are indeed two of a kind.

I worked hard this weekend trying to avoid the Christmas crowds.  While some people know me as a "shopper", the truth is, I find crowds daunting.  I'd rather spend a few more $ to shop on the internet (in the privacy of my own home, sitting in a comfy chair, sipping a Coco Rico) than brave the awful crowds at PKP, WalMart & Target; unlike me, D1 went shopping on Black Friday and came home with an armload of gifts.  Unlike D1 and sadly for those on my gift list, most of the internet shopping I accomplished was for myself. . .pffftttthh.  Maybe I'll be up to braving the crowds next week.

I've also been doing some intense research on a dish called "Hainanese Chicken Rice", which is supposed to be THE unofficial national dish of Singapore (introduced by, who else, the Chinese).  But I'm trying to avoid going to the market now.  The KTA Puainako parking lot is nuts, especially with the cordoned-off area for Christmas trees.  For the moment, meals need to be planned around what we have on hand.  Spaghetti happens to be one of those meals.

This is one of those recipes where you begin to wonder why I'd post a recipe for spaghetti.  And you would not be alone.  For most of my life, spaghetti was something you made at 5:00 pm, when you ran out of other ideas.  It was as simple as browning a tray of ground beef and adding a jar or can of spaghetti sauce.  I'm not sure why I decided to change things up a bit, but I did.  I came across a recipe for spaghetti sauce and thought I'd give it a shot.  It seemed simple enough and it was made with ingredients I usually have on hand.  I wasn't prepared for what I started.

The first time I made the recipe, I loved it from the first bite.  The kids said it was "okay", but ate at least 2 bowls of noodles with just the sauce.  No meat.  Just sauce and noodles.  Then came the grumbling about how there wasn't enough sauce.  So with a bunch of adjustments, I fixed the recipe to the point where the taste was pretty much the same as the original recipe, but there was more of the savory sauce for the sauce-only eaters. 

That was years ago.  Since then, I've made this recipe for occasions from large family dinners to birthday parties.  Cousin LA (a fantastic baker who can make all the cookies in the Martha Stewart cookie cookbook look better than the pictures in the book), requested the recipe.  Wow!  In fact, the grumbler of grumblers, Dad, actually asked Mom to call me to get the recipe for "Kay's Ono Spaghetti" so she could make it for him instead of the jar sauce du jour she had planned to use.  This request did not go over well, and he ended up eating spaghetti made with jar sauce.  Poor Dad.
Oh, crap!  Garlic bread is a MUST when eating spaghetti.  I guess someone will be going to the market after all!

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Kay's Ono Spaghetti

     1 lb ground beef

     4 slices bacon, chopped*

     1 c Portuguese sausage, diced

     16 oz tomato sauce

     1 can (4 oz) mushroom pieces, drained

     2 c catsup

     1/2 c chopped celery

     1/8 tsp black pepper

     1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves

     1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

     2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

     a dash of chili powder

Brown all meats.  Drain fat.  Add rest of ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes.  Makes enough sauce for 1 lb of pasta.

*You may also used 4 tbsp of pre-cooked bacon bits.  If you do this, give it a few good pulses in the food processor to break up large chunks.

Take Your Pick Teriyaki

teriyaki chicken

I am truly sick of turkey right now.  The Foodland turkey dinner package turned out to be a huge hit (definitely worth it for not having to store all the food before cooking and for the absence of all the greasy dishes from roasting the turkey and making the gravy). After handing off the dark meat to the Pars, its "a hui hou" to turkey for a while.  I wanna go back to eating simple food, food that goes well with a plate of rice.  Nothing fussy, just everyday food.  Hmmmmm. . .teriyaki to the rescue!

In my house, teriyaki goes over very nicely with the Ds.  Its a versatile meal which can be prepped ahead and reheats nicely.  D2 is partial to thin-sliced beef teriyaki.  D1 will eat anything.  But both kids will insist on grilled teriyaki (not pan-fried).  I don't blame them.  The smell of teriyaki cooking on a hibachi is ethereal.  Its the ultimate local comfort smell.  I'm sure you've experienced the feeling of longing when you catch a whiff of someone else making hibachi!

The marinade for making chicken or beef teriyaki is the same.  I prefer white meat (yes!), but thighs can also be soaked too.  Its best to marinate deboned chicken.  Skin-on or skin-off is an individual preference.  If I'm using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I take a mallet and pound the breast halves to an even 1/2" thickness.  Thin-sliced beef is D2's favorite, but hunky rib eye steaks can also bathe in the marinade too.  Rules for marinating chicken and beef are the same.  Marinate overnight and discard any unused marinade.  Do not use the marinade as a basting sauce.

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Teriyaki Marinade

     1/2 c sugar

     1/2 c shoyu

     1 clove garlic, smashed

     1" piece ginger, grated
     1 tsp sake
     1 tsp sesame oil

Combine marinade ingredients.  Add a 1-2 pounds of desired meat.  Allow to marinate overnight.  Cook over a hibachi.

      

Chap Chae in December

 The month of December here in Hilo has been rather cold.  Its not unusual to have nights dipping into the lower 60s.  Although I enjoy having soup, its not something that I'd want every night.  Enter Chap Chae.  Chap Chae is a Korean noodle dish that can be eaten at room temperature.  The December chill is great for cooling down Chap Chae.

Chap Chae can be practically anything you want it to be . . . all depends on what you have in your vegetable bin and what kind of protein you'd like to add.  It can be made in under an hour, but the flavor of the beef (my protein of choice) improves the longer it sits in the marinade, so I would start soaking the meat the night before or earlier in the day.  

Most people think Chap Chae is made with long rice (cellophane noodles, glass noodles, bean threads, etc.), but its actually made with a sweet potato starch noodle, dang myun.  Dang myun can be found at Asian stores.  I don't think all supermarkets have it.  KTA didn't so I got my pkg. from Kilauea Market.  Don't be thrown off by the gray color.  It will become clear after it is cooked.

To begin making Chap Chae, marinate beef in sauce for at least 30 minutes. 

Marinate softened dried shiitake mushrooms in sauce for about 30 minutes.  When done, squeeze mushrooms dry and slice in 1/4" pieces.

While mushrooms are marinating, prepare vegetable ingredients.  Carrots and onion can be julienned.  

If using spinach or other leafy greens (I used bok choy), blanch first, drain well, then cut into 2" pieces.

Cook and drain dang myun.  See, I told you it gets clear when cooked!  For ease in serving, take a kitchen shears and make several cuts through the tangle of dang myun.

This part comes together really quick.  In a wok or large pan, saute beef until cooked.  Remove from wok.

Saute vegetables for a few minutes and remove from wok.  Add noodles and oil to wok and toss lightly.  Add sauce, cooked beef, and cooked vegetables.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

Chap chae is normally served at room temperature, although I have trouble waiting long enough for it to cool.  It makes a great potluck dish, especially in December, where the natural air temperature makes it cool faster.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Chap Chae

Beef & Marinade:    1 tbsp shoyu

                               1 tbsp sugar

                               1 tsp sesame oil

                               1 tsp minced garlic

                               1/4 tsp pepper

                               1/2 tsp sesame seeds

                               1/2-3/4 lb flank steak or other beef, sliced very thin

Combine all ingredients and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Shiitake & Marinade:  7 shiitake mushrooms, soaked and squeezed dry

                                   1/2 c shoyu

                                   1 tsp sugar

                                   1 tsp sesame oil

Combine all ingredients and marinate for at least 30 minutes.  Squeeze shiitake again and cut into 1/4" slices.

Assorted vegetables:  carrot, julienned

                                   bok choy, blanched, drained & cut into 2" lengths

                                   bell pepper, julienned

                                   anything!

Noodles & Sauce:  1 pkg. dang myun

                              2 tbsp oil, divided

                              2 tbsp shoyu

                              1/4 c sugar

                              1 tbsp sesame seeds

Cook noodles as directed on package (about 7 minutes).  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Cut into shorter lengths.  Combine shoyu and sugar.  Set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok.  Saute beef until cooked.  Remove.  Saute shiitake and other vegetables.  Remove.  Add 1 tbsp oil and noodles to wok.  Toss together.  Add sauce (shoyu & sugar) and return beef and vegetables.  Toss until heated through and sauce has soaked into noodles.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.