crazy pantry

Found a small package of Thai chilies at Crazy Pantry recently.

They look a bit more stubby than what I have seen online.

I've never cooked with these but from what people have told me, they have quite a kick.

Do you cook with Thai chilies?

What recipes do you use them in?

croque mexican

A couple of lunches before flying out to Hawaii, I had this...a croque mexican.

One of my favorite bakeries in our area, À bientôt, had this unique "sandwich".

I read "croque mexican" on the tag in front of the tray and had to try it.

Thinly sliced bread. Chili. Lots of cheddar cheese and a slice of eggplant.

Kinda lasagna-ish.

I think the chili could have been a little spicier, but I still enjoyed this.

teddy's

Teddy's heard my wish for "chili cheese fries"...

Actually they have a chili cheeseburger running for the month of August, and if you want, they'll put the chili cheese onto your fries instead...whoo!

Thanks for lunch BFF!

tsukiji no ra-yu

Back in October, I wrote about Takewaka.

I also wanted to tell you about their gu-iri ra-yu. As you know, I've also tried making gu-iri ra-yu from scratch, I should also tell you that it is also called "taberu ra-yu". "Taberu" means to eat.

I'm not so sure why they call it this, I mean, isn't all ra-yu edible?! I think it could be because it is "chunky" so you need to chew it...

The green label is a blend of maguro (tuna) and takana (Japanese mustard cabbage), the blue label is their "plain" and their red label is a blend with a lot of shoga (ginger).

The green label is perfect for fried rice.

Just saute your veggies and rice in some oil add a scrambled egg, then add the ra-yu to your liking.

The red label is nice on tofu, lots of ginger flavor. I think this may be nice on fish too.

We've had the blue label as a "mabo tofu" but I really like it on crispy gyoza.

None of these are really spicy, but they are all still very delicious.

sam's

I know, I know, because I headed back to Japan everyone was ready to go on a diet, right?!

I still have a few more places to blog about so bear with me.

I had this deliciously messy chili cheese dog from Sam's Club.

Oozy cheese, the hot dog was a polish one if I'm not mistaken and the chili had just the right amount of kick.

Best part was that it was US$1.99 + tax....mmm!

zippy's

Many foods remind me of home, but one is particular is Zippy's chili.

Their chili is thick and spicy.

I had a craving for this recently so I bought the chili and added my own brown rice and a "no nitrate" hot dog.

Perfect on a drizzly day.

Zippy's
450 Kamehameha Highway
Pearl City, Hawaii
Phone: 808.483.3775

nikumiso ra-yu

This recently caught my eye at the supermarket.

Nikumiso ra-yu. Nikumiso is made by combining pork with miso and other condiments. I've seen it used in musubi or eaten as is.

This particular product is combined with ra-yu (chili oil).

It is similar to gu-iri ra-yu, but with some pork in there.

The weather is still a bit too cold for hiyayakko (cold tofu), but this is delicious.

spicy

The weather is still cold and I'm still craving spicy...I tried McD's chili chicken sandwich.

Their chili is good and spicy. The chicken was fried, nothing really spectacular but this really hit the spot.

And then I saw Kirk's post where he had a spicy hot dog...

So, I "needed" a chili dog for lunch the next day...

It was my first time trying MOS burger's chili dog. It looked a bit skimpy on the chili, but turned out to be just right. Not messy eating at all.

The weiner had a nice snap and the bun was so soft!

At 220 yen (about US$2.20), I'd say it was a good deal. Plus, it satisfied my spicy cravings...for now.

"slow cooker" veggie chili with sweet potatoes

First off, we visited MIL yesterday and she is in good spirits.

She still has a way to go with rehabilitation, but can walk the short distance to the bathroom by herself, which is a great improvement from the last time we saw her.

Onto today's post...Whenever I fly, I try to buy a magazine to keep me company, just in case the movies aren't interesting.

I saw this recipe for slow cooker chili in "Real Simple" on my flight back from Hawaii and wanted to try it because I thought chili would be perfect for this chilly weather and sweet potatoes are also in season here.

There were some problems though which is why I have part of the title in quotes...the main one being that I don't have a slow cooker.

On top of that, I don't know of anywhere that sells fire-roasted tomatoes here (if you know where they do, let me know).

Here is a link to the original recipe if you have a slow cooker and want to try this.

The following is my adapted version.

"Slow Cooker" Veggie Chili with Sweet Potatoes adapted from "Real Simple January 2011"

1/2 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 carrot, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 sweet potato, peeled & chopped

1 cup water + 1 can water

1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
20 grinds cinnamon
5 grinds black pepper
a pinch of salt

flat leaf parsley
rice

Heat a pot and add the onions and oil.
Cook until transparent.
Add garlic.
Add carrot, red bell pepper and sweet potatoes.
Add beans and 1 cup of water.
Then add the tomatoes and fill the can with water and add to pot to rinse can.
Add spices.
Bring to a boil then turn heat down to simmer.
Simmer for 1 hour, stirring once in awhile and skimming off scum.

Serve over rice and garnish with some flat leaf parsley.

NOTES: the original recipe only called for the liquid from the canned tomatoes and 1 cup of water.

Since I don't have a slow cooker I wasn't sure if it didn't need much liquid to cook the chili, I also thought the amount of liquid was a little sparse for the way I was cooking it and added the can of water.

My cinnamon is in a grinder, so instead of measuring, I just grind out what I think is appropriate.

Same goes for my black pepper.

This was delicious but I think the next time I make this I'll cut the extra can of water out as it was a little watery and seemed to wash out some of the spiciness.

If you do try this in your slow cooker, let me know how it turned out for you.

p.s. today is 1.11.11

p.p.s. I'm sending this over to Deb's Souper Sundays!

chili soup

You ever had one of those days when you want to eat two different things and can't make up your mind which one you should choose?

That was my dilemma on Thursday night. I wanted something soupy, but I also wanted chili.

My solution, I combined the two...chili soup (a total throw together recipe)...

Kat's Chili Soup

1 large stalk of celery, chopped
all the celery leaves, chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 can borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
1 packet chili seasoning (I used Lawry's)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups water
1/4 cup total: wheat berries & pearl barley, rinsed

Sautee veggies (including celery leaves) in oil until onion is transparent and all are well coated with the oil
Add water and grains
Add chili seasoning, beans and tomatoes
Cook on low for 10 minutes, check to make sure that grains are not sticking to the bottom of your pot
Cook another 10 minutes.
Serve with rice or bread.
Enjoy!

NOTES: this hit the spot! lots of veggies and kick from the chili seasoning. If you want your vegetables a little softer then cook it for longer. I tend to like my veggies a bit crunchy, so I don't cook it very long. I also didn't add any salt because those packets of seasoning tend to already be quite salty. I'm making this again.

p.s. About a week after going for my physical, I received my results (fast, yeah??)....and my cholesterol is high overall, but the "good" cholesterol number is higher than the "bad".

If you look at the summary, I had all "A"s, except for my eye test...I had a "D". I guess I should have brought my glasses with me, but didn't think to at the time.

Oh well, I'll still try to eat better and go for more walks.

Have a nice week!

p.s. I'm sending this over to Deb's for her Souper Sundays! (it will appear next week, but check out the round-up for this week!)

it's a new year

Happy 2010!

Awhile back I spotted this recipe for beef and dark beer chili on Serious Eats.

I like dark beer, I like chili, so I thought this would be perfect to try.

I don't know about you but I tend to skim through recipes, sometimes omitting steps by accident and/or ingredients.

Well, my brain somehow didn't connect ground chuck with "hamburger", so I instead bought cubed steak.

Here's the recipe for the chili, I've put what I did in parentheses:
Beef and Dark Beer Chili - serves 6 -
Adapted from Bon Appetit, seen on Serious Eats

Ingredients

3/4 tablespoon cumin seed (used ground)
1/2 tablespoon coriander seed (used ground)
2 1/2 pounds ground chuck (used cubed steak)
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 onions, chopped (used 1/2 an onion)
2 red bell peppers, chopped (used 1 red bell pepper)
1 jalapeno, stemmed and chopped
3 1/2 tablespoons chili powder (used 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, chopped (used 1 teaspoon dried chipotle)
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice, chopped
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained
6 ounces dark beer (like stout)
Sour cream (used plain yogurt)
Scallions, thinly sliced (left out)
Grated cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

Procedure
1. Add the cumin and coriander seed to a small skillet set over medium heat. Toast the spices, shaking the pan often, until they darken slightly, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool. Then grind.
2. Cook the beef in batches in a large skillet set over medium-high until it is no longer pink. Set the cooked beef aside for a few minutes. Drain off any fat and juices that collect.
3. Meanwhile, pour the canola oil into a large pot set over medium-high heat. Add the onions, red pepper, and jalapeno. Cook, stirring often, until very soft. This should take about 15 minutes. (on a gas range it took about half the time)
4. Add the browned beef, spices, chili powder, chopped chipotles, tomatoes, beans, and beer to the large pot. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle some chili into a bowl. Top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of scallion and cheese.

NOTES: For the chili I used a stout from a neighborhood brewery, which I've written about before here.

I liked the spiciness of the chili, it creeps up on you but doesn't keep burning for long. Since I didn't have scallions, I left them out and garnished with a little Italian parsley, yogurt & white cheddar.

I also made some cole slaw and cornbread muffins to go along with the chili. I had tried a cornbread recipe in the past, but I think the cornmeal I used was too coarse.

This time around I decided to try a new recipe and used one I found in "Southern Homecoming Traditions" by Carolyn Quick Tillery.

The original recipe is for "Jalapeno Corn Muffins", but I figured since I already added a jalapeno to the chili, I shouldn't make the muffins spicy also. I also subbed corn flour in place of the bulk of the cornmeal.

Here's the recipe for the muffins, again I have put what I have done in parentheses: makes 12 muffins

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal (used 15 tablespoons corn flour + 1 tablespoon coarse cornmeal)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk (made my own with 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar)
1/4 cup cooled, melted butter (equals 56 grams)
1/2 cup jalapeno jelly (omitted)

Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Butter 12-2.5 inch muffin cups (I used muffin papers). In a bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and paprika. In separate bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add buttermilk and melted butter to eggs; beat to blend. Combine the buttermilk mixture with the flour and mix until just moistened.

Evenly divide half of the batter into the buttered muffin cups. Top the batter with 2 teaspoons of jalapeno jelly. Evenly divide the remaining batter amongst the cups and place in the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes or until a golden brown muffin springs back when lightly pressed in the center and begins to pull from the sides of the muffin pan (I baked them for about 20 minutes and used a toothpick to test).

NOTES:The cornbread muffins came out good. Nice texture and flavor. Subbing most of the cornmeal for the corn flour was a good call. Though I don't have jalapeno jelly, I should try making these again with jalapeno bits in them.

It's a New Year, what are you eating?

p.s. I'm also sending this to Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays.

p.p.s. we also had the leftovers as "chili moco", I know the Zippy's version also has a hamburger patty---ours was just rice, chili and egg.

lunch

It has been almost a month since my "almost everyday" lunch pick up bakery went out of business. I've been buying bento(boxed food) for lunch.

There was the chicken soboro bento--399 yen (about US$3.99). Chicken soboro means ground chicken. The ground chicken is seasoned with shoyu (soy sauce), mirin (sweet rice wine) and sugar.

Haigamai bento--399 yen (about US $3.99). Haigamai as I understand is the brown rice with the germ taken off. I think this is the step before it turns to white rice. There was also nishime, a piece of fried chicken & konnyaku with aburage.

Omurice (omlette rice)--398 yen (about US$3.98)--the inside of this omlette has ketchup seasoned rice and bits of chicken. There was way too much ketchup around the omurice.

Chili dog--sorry forgot how much it cost. I liked this one because the bread was crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside and the chili was spicy.

Sometimes when I have rice sitting in the rice warmer, I buy some okazu (side dishes). This day, I bought some togan ebi ankake (wintermelon with shrimp and thick sauce), yakinasu no pirikara ohitashi (chilled grilled spicy eggplant), su-buta (sweet sour pork) and some yakisoba (fried noodles)--293 yen (US$2.93).


Yakisoba (fried noodles)--180 yen (about US$1.80), I prefer my yakisoba a bit crispy, with thin noodles, this version was dry and the noodles were fat.

What do you usually eat for lunch?

lazy beans

Last night I made chili for dinner. I was too lazy to cook the beans for hours and hours and too cheap to buy a can of beans, so I threw the handful of dry beans (after rinsing them) into my rice cooker and cooked them with my rice (though you can't see them in the photo).

The heat of the rice cooker is so high that it cooks the beans to just tender, not mushy.

On a cold, rainy night. Chili with rice really hit the spot.

Clarification: sorry, I was a bit vague above. The bean-less chili I made in a separate pot. I cooked the beans with my rice.

chili madness

Last night, Satoshi had a business dinner drinking thingy, so it was just me. I like when he has "planned" dinners out (where he can tell me in advance that he doesn't need dinner), that way I don't have to go through the trouble of making anything special and can just buy something pre-made or eat leftovers. I've gotten upset many times after cooking something new and then he e-mails/calls me to say that he'll be going drinking after work and won't need dinner. (aargh!) I guess I should be used to the last minute-ness of his job by now, but it still takes all the inspiration to cook out of me sometimes.

After seeing Ellie's post, I decided to cook up a batch of chili. Making chili is quite easy and doesn't require standing by the stove for too long. I was too lazy to cook up some dried beans, so I put in a can of cannelini beans instead. I also added a half teaspoon of instant espresso, which added a nice layer of flavor.

There are several ways I like to eat chili. Here are my top 3 ways:

Number 3: over pasta. In Hawaii, we call this chili spaghetti. I could be wrong, but I think this was made famous by a local eatery--Zippy's. (If you notice in the background, the avocado survived. It was still a little firm, but the outside was nice and soft and it tasted buttery.)

Number 2: as a chili dog. I love this version especially with chopped onions and cheese on top. I can't remember where it was that I had my first chili dog, but I do remember it had chopped onions and cheese on it. I found these spicy hot dogs at the supermarket. When I first bought hot dogs and buns in Japan, I was surprised. For one thing, there are only 6 buns in a bag. So, you have to look for a package with at least 6 hot dogs in it--this is quite rare, most times there are only 4 long ones to a package or the hot dogs are REALLY short, like an inch or two long, so you need to use 2 for 1 bun.

And the number 1 way: over rice. I've been eating chili this way long before I knew about Zippy's. My mom used to sometimes serve it with cut up hot dogs or sometimes just with rice.

Have you tried chili? Do you like chili (with or without beans)? If so, I'm curious as to how you like to eat it?

waiting for the typhoon to pass

Well, the typhoon is now over Kyushu and part of Shikoku, it is estimated to pass over Osaka either tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime, we have been having rain off and on during the day. (Can you believe that Satoshi had to go to work?)

Anyway, I saw the recipe for this pupu (appetizer in Hawaiian) in Gourmet Magazine's January issue. I also saw it being served here. (I think it may be a trendy thing in Hawaii now)...stir fried soybeans with garlic and chile.

Another easy dish to make and really good with BEER!

Stir Fried Soybeans with Garlic & Chile
from Gourmet January 2007--adapted from Pineapple Room

1 lb. soybean (frozen in shell)
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
2 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoon minced, peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoon minced garlic

Cook soybeans in 5-6 quart pot of unsalted water for 5 minutes then drain in colander.

Stir together soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and red pepper flakes in a bowl.

Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates immediately.

Add vegetable oil, swirling to coat wok. Add ginger & garlic and stir fry until fragrant (about 15 seconds). Add soybeans, stir fry until lightly charred (about 2-3 minutes).

Add soy sauce mixture and stir fry until soybeans are coated and most of liquid has evaporated (about 1 minute).

Enjoy!

I had this appetizer for dinner along with shogayaki donburi (pork ginger bowls) topped with okra and green onions and of course...BEER!

NOTES: I used fresh soybeans for this recipe. The flavor of the sauce is very addicting and leaves a little sting on your lips after you have eaten a few.

odds & ends

Last year, I posted about these dried tart fuji apples. Well, I think I may have found a similar product in Japan. These dried apples are imported by Kanebo foods. But at 168yen (about $1.70) per bag it is a bit expensive, especially since there are only 4 pieces! Oh well, it was nice to find them here.

Before coming back from Hawaii, I found these dark chocolate covered mac nuts dusted in cocoa powder made by Mauna Loa. BFF told me not to put them into the refrig as the cocoa gets kind of funky when it comes out of the refrig....with the weather warming up I guess I'll have to eat them up soon!

A flower that is in bloom here are there is the fuji (wisteria). There are purple fuji, which we found at a local park.

And white fuji, which we found at Otokunidera. I'm not sure if they have a fragrance, but they look really dainty.

This morning Satoshi had to go to work, so I made him a chili moco (well, almost). A local eatery in Hawaii, Zippy's, came up with the idea. Rice with their famous chili, a hamburger patty, their mac salad sauce on top of the patty and then an egg (ordered to your liking). I didn't realize their chili moco was this intense until I googled it. Mine was sans the patty and the sauce. I'll have to try making this again sometime....

Lastly, I wanted to share with you a new wine that I found. Since Australia is nearby, I've noticed that there are a lot of Aussie wines in the stores these days. Made by a company called Barokes, they have 3 types (Rose, Chardonnay Semillon, Cabernet Shiraz Merlot) and 2 versions (with or without bubbles). They are about a cup and a half and perfect for picnics.

Well, it is a rainy Sunday and Satoshi is at work. I'm debating what to do today...hope you are staying dry and enjoying the weekend where you are.

3 c's

When buying a diamond the 3 c's are cut, clarity and color, but for comfort on a nippy day the 3 c's just might be chili, cole slaw and cornbread.

Yesterday it rained off and on all day long. Thankfully the weather gave me a break this morning to get out to the grocery store. There was a bit of a nip in the air after the rain and I thought chili would be a nice comfort food. I used the Hawaiian Chili by Max packet, which I've used before and posted about here.

I made cole slaw just because I had an old carrot and some cabbage in the fridge. I added sliced apples and a handful of raisins because that is how my mom usually makes her cole slaw. I also added 2 dollops of plain yogurt and a couple squirts of mayo. Oh, and quite a bit of freshly ground pepper.

I have been wanting to make cornbread after seeing this post, on Blue Lotus.

So, I followed a recipe in this book, but I think the type of cornmeal I used wasn't fine enough, so these muffins came out a bit hard to eat, in fact, I wouldn't recommend them for anyone with teeth problems... Or maybe it was because I made them as muffins and not in a pan. Anyway, here's the recipe if you'd like to try for yourself.

Cornbread : makes 1 loaf from "The Essential Baking Cookbook"
1 cup (125g/4 oz) self-rising flour
1 cup (150g/5 oz) fine cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup (250ml/8 oz) buttermilk
1/4 cup (60ml/2 fl oz) oil

1. Preheat the oven to hot 220C (425F/Gas 7). Generously grease a 20 cm (8 in) cast iron frying pan with an ovenproof or screw off handle, or round cake tin, with oil. Place in the oven to heat while making the batter.

2. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the cornmeal and salt and make a well in the center. Whisk together the egg, buttermilk and oil, add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overbeat.

3. Pour into the hot cast iron pan or cake tin and bake for 25 minutes or until firm to the touch and golden brown. Serve, cut into wedges, warm or at room temperature.

Despite the corn bread failure, everything else was great! I'll have to try the corn bread recipe again another time.

hawaiian chili by max

What a way to start March...the weather forecasted rain ALL DAY, after hearing the forecast, I planned ahead (so I didn't have to go grocery shopping) to stay indoors, ALL DAY. I spent most of the morning doing some bead crafts. Then ate leftovers for lunch. Read part of a book and took a nap. After my short nap, I started making dinner...chili.

I bought this packet at the supermarket the last time I went home to Hawaii. The package is a little bigger than most chili spice packets you buy in the markets. It is made locally on the Big Island of Hawaii. Open the packet up carefully because on the inside of the packet is an application form to order more spice packets. The instructions when ordering the packet instructs you to make sure you add postage or else it will be "shipped via CANOE"! (I thought that was pretty funny...)

Anyway, here's the recipe on the back of the package: (from Hawaiian Chili by Max)
1 package of CHILI by MAX (hot or mild)
a medium size pot
1 lb. of Hamburger (Ground turkey, chicken, pork, moose, bear, venison or rattlesnake)
1/2 cup freshly diced onions
2 fresh ripe tomatoes
1 cup water

Brown 1 lb. hamburger in a medium size pot.
If you like fresh onions, add 1/2 cup of diced onions and brown with the hamburger.
Next get 2 fresh ripe tomatoes and cut them in half, use a spoon and scoop the insides into your chili and throw away the skins, and add 1 cup of water.
Now add the reddish-brown packet of spices and blend in well, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Finally mix the white packet of wheat flour with a little water to form a watery paste, now add the paste to your chili a little at a time until your desired thickness is achieved.
Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes.

*For chili & beans add canned or cooked beans of your choice now.

Now serve, enjoy and be amazed!

Note: I added 2 cups of water instead of the 1 cup and added a can of chopped tomatoes instead of the 2 ripe tomatoes.

This chili was very easy to make. I bought the HOT (mainly because they ran out of MILD). Growing up we had our chili over rice with slices of weiner. That's how I had it tonight (although my photo doesn't show the weiners). I don't know about you, but my nose runs whenever I eat spicy foods (boy, was it running!), it was really good, though!!

If you'd like to order your own spice packets here's the info that's inside the packet:
Make check or money order payable to MAX
Mail to:
MAX
P.O. Box 2892
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96745
Phone: 808-334-0644
Fax: 808-334-0351

Chili by Max Seasonings
6 packages = $9.00
1 dozen packages = $17.50
2 dozen packages = $34.00
3 dozen packages = $50.00
Please specify HOT or MILD or HALF & HALF

Shipping & Handling:
All orders are shipped via airmail. To avoid delay, be sure to include these charges:
under $24.99 ...add $5.00
$25.00-$44.99... add $6.00
$45.00-$59.99... add $8.00
over $60.00 ...add $10.00
(WARNING: If you don't include postage, your order will be shipped via CANOE) US$ only...foreign orders, please call or write!
Please allow up to 14 days delivery, Hawaii residents ADD 4% tax.

Enjoy!