Polynesia

Aloha!! What better way to celebrate the beginning of March than a trip to the Polynesian islands?!

Australia

Place holder for Feb 25 - March 1

Pakistan

Place holder for Feb 18-22

Italy

Place holder for Feb 11-15

Columbia

Next on menu is Columbia!

(wikipedia) Colombia's cuisine, influenced heavily by the Spanish and Indigenous populations, is not as widely known as other Latin American cuisines such as Peruvian or Brazilian, but to the adventurous traveler there are plenty of delectable dishes to try, not to mention fruits, rum, and especially Colombian coffee.

Katsu-don

Balcer Rating: 4.5

Pork Cutlet on Rice

Katsu-don

Rich in B vitamins, which alleviate tiredness by helping the body to convert food into energy.

Ingredients

• 130g rice
• 1 pork loin chop
• 1/4 medium size onion
• 1 egg
• some vegetable or sunflower oil for deep-frying

Breadcrumb Coating

• a handful of plain flour
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• a handful of breadcrumbs

Sauce

• 75ml dashi *see Japanese fish soup stock
• 20ml soy sauce
• 20ml mirin
• 1tbsp sake

Methods/steps

1. Make 4-5 cuts along the chop, being careful not to cut right through. Season it with salt and pepper. Coat thinly with flour, dip it into the beaten egg, and then coat it with the breadcrumbs.
2. Heat some oil in a deep frying pan. Deep-fry the pork until it floats on the surface of the oil.
3. Place the pork on kitchen paper to remove excess oil. Cut it into bite size pieces.
4. Cut the onion into thin slices.
5. Place the pork, onions, and the sauce in a frying pan, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
6. Pour the beaten egg in evenly to cover the surface, cover with a lid, and cook for 1 minute on a lower heat.
7. The pork and sauce are then served up on a bowl of rice.

Maki Rolls

 

Balcer Rating: 5 (this is a long standing favorite in our home!)

 

Rolled Sushi

Makizushi

  Like nigirizushi, makizushi requires practice to achieve optimum results. You should have all the necessary ingredients, fillings and utensils to hand before you begin. You will need a makisu or bamboo sushi-rolling mat. Here we demonstrate futomaki, or thick rolls, but the process is almost identical for hosomaki, or thin rolls, except that the quantities and fillings differ.

Ingredients

• Approximately 100g sushi rice for each hosomaki roll, and 200g for each futomaki roll.
• Toasted nori

Toasted nori sheets are usually a standard size of 20 x 20cm. For futomaki, these can be used as they are, but for hosomaki, they should be cut in half.
FILLINGS:

• Tamago (omelette) cut into thin strips
• Unagi (grilled eel) cut into thin strips
• Kyuri (cucumber) cut into sticks
• Kampyo (gourd shavings) cut into ribbons

The most typical fillings for hosomaki are maguro (tuna), kyuri (cucumber) and kampyo (dried gourd shavings). Maguro and kyuri should be cut into thin strips. Kampyo should be reconstituted by soaking in water for one hour, then cooked in boiling water for 5-10 minutes, before simmering for a further 5-10 minutes in dashi, with sugar, soy sauce and a pinch of salt added. For futomaki, a number of fillings are generally combined, including kampyo, kyuri, tamago and others.
Ensure that the sushi rice and fillings are both at about room temperature. The rice is difficult to work with if it is cooler than this, and if the rice and fillings are at different temperatures, they will not combine together well.

Methods/steps

1. Place the makisu on a chopping boad and place a sheet of toasted nori on the makisu, ensuring that the shiny, toasted side is facing down.
2. Pick up around 200g of cooked sushi rice, gathering it together lightly with both hands. Be sure to always wet your hands with tezu (vinegared hand dipping water) before you handle the rice.
3. Carefully spread a layer of sushi rice over the surface of the nori, to an even thickness of about 9mm, leaving a slight gap at the edge farthest away from you. Dab a little tezu on the exposed nori at the far side of the sheet.
4. Make a slight groove in the centre of the rice, and place the filling in this groove. Ensure fillings are free of excess moisture. In the case of futomaki, lay out the fillings side by side in the centre of the rice.
5. Carefully begin rolling the makisu from the edge nearest you, using your fingers to keep the fillings in place. Press down tightly and evenly, but not so tightly that the rice and filling comes out the sides.
6. When the makisu has almost completely enveloped the sushi, pull out the end of the mat so that it is not rolled up in the sushi. Holding the makisu around the sushi, pull the other end of the mat gently.
7. Gently press the sides of the roll with the fingers of your hand to flatten, and carefully remove the makisu from around the sushi.
8. Cut the roll in half using a sharp knife that has been dipped in tezu. Then place the two halves next to each other, and cut into thirds. When cutting the completed makizushi, move the knife back and forward with a steady sawing motion.