Recipe: Stir-Fried Spicy Edamame

Recipe: Stir-Fried Spicy Edamame

What is better at a sushi restaurant than a big bowl of salted edamame, steaming and warm? I love the buttery flavor of the soybean pods and the act of slowly coaxing them from the pods with your teeth. The only thing better: these spicy, stir-fried edamame. Savory and hot, it's the same as at the sushi restaurant but in the comfort of your own home--and with a kick! I like to fill snack-sized bags with them as an accompaniment to lunch. A minute or so in the microwave and they are rewarmed and ready to eat.

I based my recipe on the one that appeared in the R.S.V.P. section of Bon Appetit last year.

Ingredient:
16 ounce bag of frozen or fresh edamame in the pod
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons vegetarian fish sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2-3 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (Or more, if you want it hotter or 'Thai' hot. You know who you are.)
2 garlic cloves, mashed

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the edamame, simmering for 5 minutes or until they are tender.

In the meantime, mix together the soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil in a small yellow bowl and heat the canola oil on high heat in large skillet or wok. When the edamame are done, use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer them to the hot skillet. Add the garlic and a chili garlic sauce, stirring and cooking with the edamame for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the soy sauce mixture and continue to cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or platter with a second small bowl for the discarded pods. Enjoy warm!

Taberu to o tanoshimi kudasai! (Eat and enjoy!)

Wichita Asian Market

I always love to stop into Thai Binh when I'm in Wichita--one of my favorite Asian markets. They've remodeled since I left the city and you never know what you are going to find! I was hoping to stock up on to-go soup containers they usually stock, which I use for ice cream when I'm taking it to a friend. Alas, there were none to be had. Oh well, we had lots of fun looking at all of the wonderful things and I did come away with a treasure.

What are these? Some sort of dock from another planet? Strange, beautiful and magnificent.

The decor items at Thai Binh are all about more, as in 'more is more, less is a bore.' It's certainly an aesthetic I appreciate.

I had been researching a substitute for fish sauce to use in Asian recipes, and several sources noted that it is possible to find a vegetarian fish sauce at some Vietnamese markets. Lo and behold, after careful look there it was on the shelf. So, now I have enough fish sauce to last me for....a decade? Who knows. It's still so high in sodium you only need a little. I haven't tried it yet, but I'll report back after I use it in a recipe.

Foods I miss in Austin....

....would be far, far too long. I did a similar list when I left Wichita, but for Austin, it will have to be a top ten.

1. Breakfast tacos--yes, I am addicted and just this morning suggested to my little diner on the corner that they add them to the menu. Particularly, from Elsi's.
2. Protein 2000 from Veggie Heaven.
3. Hot dogs from Dog Almighty.
4. Central Market. Sigh. Do I need to say more?
5. Vietnamese food, particularly Sunflower by my house.
6. The pastry case at Mandola's, particulary the angenetti (cakey, lemon cookies.)
7. The Steeping Room--if you haven't been, then get yourself there.
8. Boxes of vegetables from my CSA.
9. Having friends over for dinner.
10. The giant Asian market up the street.

Mangez!

Domo arigato, Mr. Morimoto

I've received several new cookbooks to review, the most beautiful of which is The New Art of Japanese Cooking by Masaharu Morimoto. You may know this famous chef from Iron Chef America on the Food Network, one of his eponymous restaurants, or his recent appearance on The Martha Stewart Show where he made daikon fettucine. This new publication illustrates how Chef Morimoto stretches the traditional vocabulary of Japanese cuisine to include both Western forms and ingredients. Each recipe, meticulously photographed and detailed, provides introduction to his famous kitchen and innovative palate. Chef Morimoto intersperses recipes with welcome information on the many exotic ingredients and techniques he employs and encourages his reader to try. While many of his ideas are tempting and unusual (like the sushi omelet, frozen lettuce and curried mushroom salad), the one I'm most likely to utilize (or at least borrow from) is the mashed potato soup.

Recipe to try: Mashed Potato Soup with wasabi and chives
1 large baking potato, such as Idaho or russet
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
3/4 cup half-and-half
4 cups Dashi
2 tablespoons saki
3 tablespoons soy sauce
salt
1-ounce caviar, optional
freshly grated wasabi, and finely sliced chives for garnish

Prick the potato in a couple of places and steam over boiling water until the potato is tender when pierced with a knife, 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool, then peel potato and rice the potato or force through a fine sieve into a saucepan.

In a small saucepan, combine the butter and half-and-half. Warm over medium heat until the butter melts and the liquid is steaming.

Place the saucepan of mashed potatoes over low heat, then slowly whisk in the hot butter mixture until potatoes are thick and smooth. Cover to keep warm. Bring the Dashi, sake and soy sauce to a boil over high heat. Spoon equal amounts of the mashed potato into four soup bowls. Gently ladle the hot Dashi over and around the potatoes. Top with a spoonful of caviar and garnish with wasabi and chives.

Mangez?

Eating and Shopping in OKC

Last weekend I made a quick trip to Norman, OK to visit my friend Stephanie and see some other pals. We set off a thrifting adventure, then stopped into Super Cao Nguyen Market for something to eat and got sucked in the most wondrous, amazing Asian market I have ever seen. And I have been in many, MANY Asian markets.

At the front of the store they had an enormous section filled with Buddhas, Virgins, Jesi (the plural of Jesus is Jesi, right? I mean, would you say Jesuses? I wouldn't.) and more Quan Yins than you could count. While this amazing display might look like the altar of the store, it's actually just a display. The more modest resident altar is discreetly tucked away by the entrance. Blink and you'll miss it.

This lovely, lovely Quan Yin (available in various sizes and even in solid pink) has a bisque finish and stands upon a pink lotus flower. The store was packed with them and I wanted to load up the whole basket with every last one.

The beauty of the Asian market isn't found simply in statues and art objects, but in every little packaging detail you encounter. For your consideration: parrot soap, pigeon mushrooms and baby corn.

And stainless steel Chinese soup spoons! These are really one of my most favorite things. They look great on the table and can be used as a conventional utensil or piled high with some savory treat, hors d'oeuvres, or an amuse bouche. If you find these, buy several sets because they are inexpensive and you will grow to love them.

We also encountered lots of French and German items, such as these candy sprinkles in a repetitively dramatic display. Stephanie said her mom had been searching for these and now she knows where to find them.

And let us not forget grooming! The nose tweezers look dangerous, but we were fascinated by the packaging.

Then we did some actual eating. Stephanie had some shrimp spring rolls and I opted for a vegetarian bahn mi which was delicious. Perrier? Well, Vietnam was a French Colony. So bring on the sparkling water, spring rolls and delicious sandwiches on crusty French bread!

Saturday night, Stephanie and I threw together a little meal for some friends. We made my easy, breezy peanut noodles with all sorts of different add-ins, some sauteed baby bok choy, egg rolls from Costco and some dumplings.

For dessert? Delicious, creamy, wonderful cupcakes from Central Market.

Here's the recipe for my peanut noodles, reprinted from a couple of years ago.

Recipe: Spicy Peanut Noodles
1/2 cup peanut butter (I use Peter Pan Plus 8)
2/3 cup tamari soy sauce
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Oriental sesame oil
4 heaping spoonfuls of minced garlic
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger (lazy me uses the bottled stuff)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

24 oz. udon noodles (or plain spaghetti works just fine)

Cook the noodles per directions, but you want it a little chewy--not too done. Drain and cool. Meanwhile, combine all the other ingredients in a large bowl (I use an 8-cup measuring cup.) with a whisk until smooth. Place cooled noodles in a large serving bowl, pour sauce over and toss to coat. You want to prepare this a couple of hours ahead and then allow to chill in the fridge-that way the noodles soak up all the peanutty goodness. Bring to room temperature and you may need to add a little warm water to the noodles as you toss to loosen. Garnish as desired. Doubles easily.

MT Supermarket

Last Saturday, Leslie and I went to MT Supermarket. It is the anchor in the new Chinatown Shopping Center on North Lamar, almost to Braker that is also filled with all kinds of interesting restaurants. A visit to MT Supermarket is an amazing experience with tons of things to look at. Problem is that I don't know what to do with most of it. On a visit, here is what you might find:

Kewpie Mayonnaise. Just like mom used to make.

An array of fresh noodles in a variety of shapes and sizes. How yummy! In soup, with sesame oil, sauteed vegetable...and on and on and on.

Soy sauce by the gallon!

Strange purple sweets. Sorry, couldn't do it. You try them and let me know.

Wet One's Whistle candies. There are so many wonderful and weird Asian candies that are available, it's difficult to know where to start.

These are some sort of weird, squid dumpling things that are delicious if you like squid. I do not, but I do adore the packaging. If you go and buy some, save it and I'll put it in a frame.

What did I buy?
Spicy dried tofu (delicious crumbled in salads or slice on a bun.)
Leek buns
A little rice paddle with the Double Happiness pattern on it (they have TONS of great kitchen and tableware)
Green Tea Mocchi
Noodles
Sweet Pepper Sauce
Bee and Flower Soap, Sandalwood Scent

What else? I think that's it. MT is always great to visit, and you'll leave with a bag of new food finds.