Cooking...

[disturbman]

I'm intended this thread to be about cooking, maybe exchanging recipes if anyone is interesting.

But, first thing first, I would like to ask if someone, maybe someone with deep connection with Japan, can give me the real Okonomiyaki recipe. I tried some but I never achieved real greatness and I muss confess, I really love this stuff and would be happy to eat more of it. 

[CaptOblivious]

You and me both!

[Shashinka]

Man, I love, Okonomiyaki. Last time I had it I was on a lovely date w/ Yumiko-Chan in Osaka.

[grumbeast]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is it?

G.

[alpineaustralia]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is it?

I assume you mean Okonomiyaki rather than Yumiko-Chan

[disturbman]

What it is? It's delicious. 

It's a kind of Japanese pancake, it has its origin in the Kansai region. The name means "everything that you want". Usually in Japan, when you get to a restaurant, they bring you the paste and the ingredients and you have to mix them and cook them yourself. As for myself I discovered it first in Amsterdam, a guy, who had a japanese wife, decided to make an Okonomiyaki only restaurant. But he was cooking them himself. It was very nice to be seated at the counter, you could looked at him and have a nice talk with him. I wonder if the restaurant is still open nowadays.

Next time I go to Tokyo I try the Monja.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okonomiyaki

[Shashinka]

My Japanese group is having a Okonomiyaki party on the 12th in Baltimore.

Recipe wise there are so many variations it's unreal. http://okonomiyakirecipes.nthmost.com/

[Shashinka]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/PeUHy0A1GF0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/PeUHy0A1GF0</a>

[disturbman]

Ok this thread doesn't get the success it deserves. Let's feed it a little.

So today i'm going to share with you my Onion soup receipt. I know, I'm French and I can't help it.

Ingredients:
- 1kg white onions (that makes a soup for 4 people)
- 50g butter
- 1 potato
- 1 zucchini (half if it's a big one).

Preparations:
1/ Cut the onions - the way you want.
2/ In a pot, smelt the 50 (to 75g) of buter.
3/ Add the onions.
4/ Let them cooked for a while. A low temp or mid temp fire is necessary. If you make the fire two strong you will burn them.
5/ When the onions have reduced to half their initial size add the zucchini and the potato in big pieces.
6/ Add a litter water or so. This can be a litter bouillon.
7/ Add salz and pepper.
8/ After twenty minutes the potato should be cooked. Put a knife into it if it goes through with no problems the soup is cooked.
9/ Use a blender.
10/ Serve and enjoy.

[CaptOblivious]

That onion soup sounds tasty. Here's something I cooked up last week that turned out really great (and is a nice nod to my southern Louisiana heritage)

(also, don't let the ham hocks put you off: They're crucial!)

http://www.gumbopages.com/food/red-beans.html

[disturbman]

^^ sounds wonderfull. To bad I have problems to digest hot dishes these days. 

The onion soup was definately tasty and... a beautifull to the mouth. It was like eating sweet silk. Maybe the best soup I ever made... the other contender for greatness being a green curry/red lencils soup (presonnal receipt, never heard of such a thing before).

[CaptOblivious]

^^ sounds wonderfull. To bad I have problems to digest hot dishes these days. 

The onion soup was definately tasty and... a beautifull to the mouth. It was like eating sweet silk. Maybe the best soup I ever made... the other contender for greatness being a green curry/red lencils soup (presonnal receipt, never heard of such a thing before).

My wife loves green curry: Would you mind sharing the recipe? Sounds tasty!

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Shepherds Pie.

Okay, I’ll add a recipe on here now, for a traditional UK dish that is a firm favourite. Essentially this is two dished, Shepherds Pie has lamb and Cottage Pie has beef. This is my twist on this recipe, and must work; I haven’t poisoned anyone with it yet!

The volumes given here will make a pie that is generous for two, but probably a stingy for four. These measurements are based on judgement, so it may call for some trial and error.

Filling

12oz Minced Beef or Lamb
1 Onion – pealed and chopped
1 Carrot – pealed, chopped and par-boiled.

Directions

Fry the mince until half cooked, then add the chopped Onion. Once both cooked, add carrot. I use a wok for this.

Once these based ingredients are cooked it’s time for the ‘additionals’:

½ pint gravy (you will need this)
½ cup of veg stock (useful for flavour)
Herbs – depending on the meat:
   Rosemary, mint and thyme for the lamb
   Sage and thyme for beef
A dash of red wine
A generous splash of Worcester Sauce (although this is probably not readily available outside of the UK). For me it is this that gives the pie its ‘zing’!
A nice dollop of Sambal – this is my twist as Shepherds/Cottage Pie is not necessarily spicy.
Black pepper; you can also add salt, but I don’t tend to…

All these can be added to provide extra depth to the flavour.

When added simmer the mixture for about 20 minutes to reduce and thicken.

Topping:

2 baking potatoes
Large knob of butter
Decent splash of olive oil
Sprinkling of basil
½ tablespoon of parmesan cheese
Pinch of back pepper

Peel, chop and boil the potatoes

Once soft, drain the potatoes and mash. Add the butter for flavour and the olive oil for additional moisture – mashed potato can be very dry. Throw in the basil and cheese, then stir thoroughly. You can be very generous with the oil and add more if the mixture seems too dry and starts to clog. Be careful not to make it too wet though. The mash should be smooth and without lumps.

Completion

Add the filling mixture to a baking dish, then add the mash on top. Don’t mix…

Sprinkle a generous helping of grated cheese to the top, preferably cheddar.

If eating immediately, place under the grill for a few minutes to melt and brown the grated cheese. If having later it can be stored for a couple of days in the fridge, the ovened for about 20-30 minutes at 180 degrees c.

Lovely

[CaptOblivious]

I love cottage pie! (I love shepherd's pie too, but minced lamb is nearly impossible to find in the US!) My wife Amy makes it from a recipe we found in Australia that is very tasty (uses tomatoes in the filling to give it a nice acidic kick).

A few questions: What is gravy? Is Worcestershire Sauce (readily available in the US) the same as Worcester Sauce? What is Sambal? Is that like Thai red pepper sauce?

[Claude_Dreyfus]

I love cottage pie! (I love shepherd's pie too, but minced lamb is nearly impossible to find in the US!) My wife Amy makes it from a recipe we found in Australia that is very tasty (uses tomatoes in the filling to give it a nice acidic kick).

You can add tomatoes to the filling....does add another dimension to the flavour.

A few questions: What is gravy?

Essentially it was traditionally the juices from the meat, thickened with something like cornflour. You get granules in the UK; Bistow are a popular brand; ideal with your Sunday Roast dinner...

Is Worcestershire Sauce (readily available in the US) the same as Worcester Sauce?

The same....an essential in my kitchen finding its way into almost everything. P.S. I do almost all the cooking at home...

What is Sambal? Is that like Thai red pepper sauce?

It is a chilli paste originating from Indonesia. Very popular in Holland, and available in the UK. It can be very fierce, so needs handling with care....

[Martijn Meerts]

Sambal is great, but the store bought stuff isn't very spicy.. Depending on what you're used to anyway.. I can easily eat a tablespoon of the stuff without really noticing much.

There's a lot of chinese restaurants in The Netherlands, some of which make the sambal themselves. That's already much better.

However, a friend of my sister is Indonesian. His mother makes her sambal herself, and my sister often gets some of that. Now THAT is the real stuff =)

[disturbman]

Hum... gravy. It reminds me that I found a place where they had Poutine, this Quebecian dish made out of fries, gravy and cheese. Could have been good if only the cheese had taste. I will recommand raclette cheese for that, not chedar (that ain't no cheese, just fermented milk).

My wife loves green curry: Would you mind sharing the recipe? Sounds tasty!

I don't mind. Let me regroup and I will share it with you.

[bill937ca]

Hum... gravy. It reminds me that I found a place where they had Poutine, this Quebecian dish made out of fries, gravy and cheese. Could have been good if only the cheese had taste. I will recommand raclette cheese for that, not chedar (that ain't no cheese, just fermented milk).

They really should use cheese curds which is somewhat salty and would give the poutine more flavour.

[Darren Jeffries]

Ok, I'll chip in with a very easy dish to just "stick in the oven" when you have little time (or are too tired to do anything more complicated).

This is my famous Phili-Chicken!!!!

You will need the following (Multiply the ingredients for the amount of people you are cooking for):

1 fresh chicken portion - this needs to be a leg or something else that has the skin remaining. Chicken breasts dont work.
Philidelphia or other Cream Cheese.
3 rashers of Unsmoked back bacon.

Take a fresh chicken portion and make a small slit in the top of the chickin skin. Put around a dessert spoon size amount of Cream Cheese inside the skin and spread as well as you can under the skin without breaking it away from the meat. use a cocktail stick or cooking pin to pin the skin closed. lightly brush the skin with oil and season to your taste with Salt & Pepper and herbs of your choice. Place in a baking dish (i find a pyrex glass dish best) and place in the oven on 180degrees (or the equivilant Gas mark) for 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and remove the pins/cocktail sticks. Be careful here as the chicken and cheese will be very hot!!! Tightly wrap the rashers of bacon around the chicken, making sure to cover the opening in the skin. Replace back in the oven for a further 20 minutes.

Serve with your favourite vegetables and voila!

[disturbman]

I feel fat just by reading your recipe Darren... Sounds yummy. ^^

I still didn't get time to gathered my mind about the Red Linsen/Green Curry Soup but I do have another soup recipe to share. This one can be made out of carrots or pumpkin and is very tasty. Pretty sure Don's wife will love it.

Ingredients:
- 1kg of carrots or pumpkin
- (1 carrot for the pumpkin version)
- 1 big onion
- 2 medium potatoes
- salz and pepper
- small can of coconut milk
- green curry

Directions:
- mince the onion and chop the vegetables.
- in a pot, let the onions become yellow in olive oil or butter.
- add the vegetables. Let them cook together for 5 minutes.
- cover with water. Add salz and pepper.
- cook for 20 minutes at medium fire.
- when cooked, add the coconut milk and the green curry.
- mix

[Darren Jeffries]

I feel fat just by reading your recipe Darren... Sounds yummy. ^^

Yes, not for calorie watchers!!!

[CaptOblivious]

Green curry and pumpkin? Not quite my cup of tea, but my wife would indeed go nuts for that…I'll be sharing that one with her :D

I feel fat just by reading your recipe Darren... Sounds yummy. ^^

I still didn't get time to gathered my mind about the Red Linsen/Green Curry Soup but I do have another soup recipe to share. This one can be made out of carrots or pumpkin and is very tasty. Pretty sure Don's wife will love it.

Ingredients:
- 1kg of carrots or pumpkin
- (1 carrot for the pumpkin version)
- 1 big onion
- 2 medium potatoes
- salz and pepper
- small can of coconut milk
- green curry

Directions:
- mince the onion and chop the vegetables.
- in a pot, let the onions become yellow in olive oil or butter.
- add the vegetables. Let them cook together for 5 minutes.
- cover with water. Add salz and pepper.
- cook for 20 minutes at medium fire.
- when cooked, add the coconut milk and the green curry.
- mix

[disturbman]

Goes very well together... but if you prefer you can do it with carrots instead.