Namul: Korean Bean Sprout Salad

This is probably not a good time to be posting a cold vegetable picture and recipe.  But I MUST.  After all the feasting over the weekend (feasting actually began on Friday), I realize I need to scale back a bit.

But I HAD to celebrate on Friday.  No, not because it was my birthday, but something else happened...something I've been waiting a whole year to happen.  I hadn't expected it to turn out so deliciously well, but it did.  Thank you, 3M for making IT happen and for allowing me to be there to witness it all.

Sometimes assholes really DO get what they deserve!

I had a great lunch on Friday, and it was followed by an onolicious dinner at Miyo's.  I got to eat fried oysters.  Even better, the Ds were with me.  I didn't hafta share them this year.

On Saturday, The Help suggested we make it a double buffet day.  On one of his 10k-step walks, he noticed a breakfast buffet being served at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel.  It wasn't crowded, and the bacon was crispy.  It was definitely NOT the Hawaii Prince breakfast buffet, but for Hilo, it was pretty good.  The bread pudding was delicious, and there weren't too many raisins to pick out.  Have I ever made it clear how much I hate raisins?  It is right up there on the list, a few notches away from the devil's condiment.

The second buffet was something I've been wanting to try but always found the near-$100/person pricetag daunting.  Leave it to The Help to surprise me with a drive out to the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel for the Clambake.  Wow!  Among other things, I consumed a dozen oysters and 2 lobster tails and a set of lobster claws.  I love lobster!  The Help likely ate only a fraction of what I did, eating mostly shrimp cocktail and sashimi, and he even managed to sneak in some salad selections. There was a guy on the next table who definitely beat me.  He ate 3 whole lobsters.  I know because I watched him (couldn't help it...he was in my line of sight).  He also had a slab of prime rib in between all that.  I don't expect to get back to the Clambake any time soon, after all, I can't be going there with D1!  But now, I'm excited to try the Let's Go Crabbing buffet at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel.  Its a fraction of the price (under $70 for adults) and features all kinds of crab.  Maybe when D1 goes on her spring break trip. . .

So after all that feasting and pigging out, it's time to lay low on the food, especially the cholesterol.  I soaked some chicken in a kal bi-type marinade, and I made some namul.   There is nothing better to eat with hibachi food than namul.  "Namul" is what I call Korean bean sprout salad, but I know namul actually refers to various vegetable dishes served as banchan, those small dishes with tasty morsels served at Korean restaurants before the meal comes.  All I know is they never give enough namul, and the bean sprouts is what I always hope to hoard!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Korean Bean Sprout Salad

     1/2 - 1 lb mung bean sprouts
     1 1/2 tbsp green onion, chopped
     1/2 tsp sugar
     1 tbsp sesame oil
     1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
     3 tbsp shoyu

Clean bean sprouts and wash in cold water.  Boil water in a medium saucepan.  Add bean sprouts to boiling water and leave in for 1 minute (Can also steam over water for 5 minutes in the microwave...high power).  Drain, rinse well in cold water, and drain well.  Add remaining ingredients and chill thoroughly before serving.

While all this was going on, it was a rather disappointing sports weekend.  All the teams/individuals I was cheering for did not prevail:  high school football, college football, professional football, Formula One.  On the other hand, I did manage to attempt knitting again. . .I had lots of time to sit and give it another go.

And after spending the better part of an hour taking stuff apart, I'm asking myself why I choose to take part in such torture.

Long Rice Salad

Happy Labor Day!

Today is a much-deserved holiday.  Looking forward to the 4-day work week.  I've been awake since 4:45 am.  Yes, I know it's a holiday, but I had to take D1 to the airport for some kind of 1-day Key Club convention on Oahu.  I hope she brings back some yummy snack for me.  Not sure why, but I've been ono for Beard Papa (cream puffs).

A whole bunch of my friends went to Honolulu this weekend.  There was an HSTA meeting as well as a food and wine festival.  I wish I could've gone to the food and wine festival.  My new favorite Hilo restaurant, Full Moon Cafe, was there.  I missed my smoky sashimi fix this weekend.  For all you Hilo expats living away, the next time you come home, Full Moon Cafe is a must-try.  Their menu is small and changes daily, ensuring that food is only made with fresh ingredients.  I cannot get enough of the smoky sashimi.  Actually, it's a smoky shoyu with chili pepper oil.  It is kick-ass!

As I was saying, this is a much-deserved holiday for me.  I feel like I've been working like a dog.  Things at work have been hectic, and last week, one of my new coworkers announced his departure.  That leaves a big hole because we really could've used his expertise this year.  Alas, Rhode Island pays better than Hawaii, and a former Hawaii administrator has been recruiting heavily on the East side of the Big Island...she already got another administrator to move.  I wonder who else will follow the pied piper.

I also wonder what else will be placed upon my plate (as well as the other teachers) due to our coworkers departure.  Come to think of it, I wonder what his advisorship was.  And on a very personal level, I wonder who will buy his car.  He has a cute Mini Cooper.  If it had Union Jack mirrors, it would already be in my garage!

As if things weren't hectic enough, last week Wednesday my new elliptical arrived.  I was expecting it sometime this week so I was surprised to come home from work to find The Help assembling it.  The box was huge.  I'm not even sure how he managed to get it into the house without my help.  I have been trying to adjust from the treadmill (now in my neighbors living room) to the elliptical, and it hasn't been easy.  I usually walked over 2 miles each morning on the treadmill, but I've come to realize there is no such thing as "walking" on an elliptical".  It is fricking hell.  I cannot last more than 5 minutes on the dang thing, and my thighs burn at minute 3.  At minute 4, I think I went into cardiac arrest from the dang elliptical.  After 5 minutes, I gave up.  It was no better on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday either...thigh burn, cardiac arrest, give up...every single time.

And sometime between the last post and this one, Kikukat Blog surpassed one million page views.  Wow.  I really didn't expect that!  I began this blog in May 2010, just as I was closing the second darkest year (hope it won't be third darkest!) in my career.  I was looking for a way to keep in touch with faraway family and friends...people who were near and dear to me and helped keep me sane.  So for those of you who read my blog, thank you for giving me this venue to bitch, celebrate, and hang with you.  I hope to see you at the 2-million mark!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Long Rice Salad

     1 large pkg. long rice*
     1 Japanese cucumber
     1 kamaboko
     1 pkg bean sprouts
     1/2  c sugar
     1/2 c rice vinegar
     2 tbsp shoyu
     2 tsp sesame oil
     1 tsp ginger juice

Cook long rice for 5 minutes in boiling water.  If using Nice brand long rice, cook 10 minutes.  Rinse in cold water, drain and cool.  Spread in an even layer on a serving platter.  Cook bean sprouts in boiling water for 3 minutes.  Rinse, drain and cool.  Spread over long rice.  Sprinkle cucumber over bean sprouts, followed by kamaboko.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.  Combine remaining ingredients in a jar.  Shake well.  Chill until ready to serve.  Shake dressing prior to serving.

*Hawaii might be the only place where we refer to bean thread noodles as "long rice".  In other parts of the world, I think it goes by "cellophane noodles" and "glass noodles".  There are several brands to choose from, and the brand I try to buy is Nice.  The Nice noodles come in a flat pack, rather than bunched in a compact bundle like other brands.  You will need 3-4 ounces (dry weight) for this recipe.

Mike and Matsu, you guys missed a great football Saturday!

The JV played Pahoa's 8-man squad and the varsity played HPA.  The JV game was interesting, as I had never seen an 8-man game before.  Pahoa had some big boys, but the scrappy Viks managed to dominate.  Mercy rule kicked into play.  I got to see my favorite JV running back do some damage to the Dagger defense.

#11 rocks

By the time the varsity game began, it was already dark.  The Help told me my assignment was to shoot "emotion".  I think I did well.  The picture above shows elation.  It's apparent the players and coaches are happy.  I was able to capture the player getting air!

The picture to the right shows reverence and respect.  The boys listen politely as one of the coaches speaks with wisdom. 

The varsity game saw a repeat of the mercy rule, and I was most glad to see that no player was seriously injured.  As a parent, being down on the field is a little disturbing.  I do not like the sound helmets make when they slam against each other, nor do I enjoy hearing the wind knocked out of a player.  It really is spooky when someone takes a little longer to get to their feet.

But what I hate even more than the raw side of football brutality is asshole poser photographers who use flash on the field!  Apparently, the dickhead wearing the red HPA t-shirt had no regard for safety, judging from his flash bursts blinding the players (HPA player included).  Show some respect for the players, asshole! 

it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out why the Kamakani receiver missed this pass

Oh, and I almost forgot...emotion in the last picture is despair.