Empowering, One Dorayaki At a Time

I remember when my family and I first came to the states back in the 80s, it was virtually impossible to find delicate, French-inspired confections what rivaled those available in Japan. Dense sugary cakes topped with thick buttercream (with artificial colorings) and overly sweet and brick-like brownies filled the supermarket bakery counters, and those airy sponge cakes that we were so accustomed to were nowhere to be found.

That’s when my mother learned to bake at home. I think she baked almost every day one year. I looked forward to coming home from school every day, knowing that lemon-infused madeleines (she baked them in cupcake tins because she didn’t own a shell-shaped pan) and heavenly chocolate vodka cakes (yes, vodka!) would be waiting for me upon my return.

The dessert landscape has certainly changed in recent years. It’s now possible to bring home wonderful, high-quality cakes, cookies, macarons and any other confections imaginable, from even as close as your local neighborhood grocer. But there’s something still very empowering about baking things you crave at home, in your own kitchen, whenever you want, however much you want.

My recent empowering moment – making dorayaki, one of my favorite Japanese confections, at home! When the craving strikes, but a trip to a nearest Asian supermarket is out of reach (with a little bebe sleeping in the crib), we’ve gotta do what we’ve gotta do to satisfy the urges!

Dorayaki
(Makes 12 pancakes; 6 dorayaki)
Recipe taken from Cooking With Dog; I doubled the recipe to make more

Ingredients:

4 eggs
160 g granulated sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon baking soda
100 ml water
260 g cake flour
5 tablespoons water (to adjust the thickness of the batter at the end)
18 oz (1 large can) Azuki (sweet red bean paste)

Instruction:

① Beat eggs, sugar and honey with a whisk. Beat the mixture for about 15 minutes. I used a stand mixture with a whisk attachment.

② In a separate bowl or a cup, dissolve the baking soda with water. Add it to the egg mixture, and mix.

③ Sift cake flour and add it to the egg mixture; mix but be careful not to over mix.

This is the consistency of the batter.

④ Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and set aside for about 30 minutes.

⑤ Adjust the thickness of the batter by adding water, one teaspoon at a time, to achieve the perfect consistency.  This is the consistency that you’re looking for.  You want the batter to flow down the whisk effortlessly without being too runny.

⑥ Heat a griddle or a non-stick pan.  Drop the batter onto the griddle or pan; it should naturally form a circle when you drop the batter gently.

I noticed that the surface will come out perfectly brown (without any inconsistent spots) if you don’t oil the pan.  Make sure to use the non-stick kind so the pancake slides right off the surface.

⑦ Flip the pancake when the bubbles form on top.  Cook the other side for about 20 seconds.

⑧ Get the pre-made anko (sweetened azuki beans) ready.  You can get this at most supermarkets (in Asian grocery aisle) or at Asian stores.  You can always make your own but I found the canned version to be too delicious to pass up.  I can eat the entire can by myself in one sitting!

⑨ Scoop about 2 tablespoons of anko and layer it onto one side (the “wrong” side) of the pancake.

⑩ Take the second pancake to sandwich the anko.  You’re all done!

These dorayakis are amazing. The cakes (called “castella” in Japan) are perfectly bouncy (different from a regular breakfast pancake) and the combination between the sweet cake and azuki is simply divine. I might like the homemade version better than the store-bought ones!  If you store them in the refrigerator, it’s best to bring them to room temperature before you eat them by leaving them out for about 15-30 minutes (they are much softer at room temperature).

I’m glad I found a YouTube cooking show called, “Cooking with Dog,” that shows viewers how to make Japanese food and desserts.  Each show is narrated by an English speaking dog, Francis, with thick Japanese accent. It’s hilarious and informative – do check it out!

New Year’s Eve 2012

I may not have been a Santa’s little helper this year — slaving over a stove for holiday meals or baking up a storm like I usually do during this time of the year — but I was definitely an Osechi elf on New Year’s Eve! I spent a few hours on Sunday and an afternoon on Monday to partake on this annual ritual, as part of the Osechi-making crew!

I got to take on a few new tasks this year. I got to help make lotus flowers, crane-shaped potatoes, roll a freshly-pounded mochi, and other fun tasks – quite a promotion from last year. I was amazed at the detail that goes into each individual item. Osechi is definitely a work of art, and it makes me appreciate this traditional Japanese New Year culinary ritual even more.

We wrapped things up around 6:30 p.m. and Kevin (who joined us after he returned from work) and I headed to my parent’s, then to his friend’s, for a quick Osechi drop off.  We got home an hour later, and commenced our ghetto New Year’s Eve party with Domino’s pizza and hot wings. We toasted to the New Year with a bottle of apple cider. By the time the world welcomed the arrival of the New Year, we were peacefully passed out on a couch in a living room, waking up just in time to wish each other another happy, healthy, and prosperous 2013 together.

Wishing all of you a wonderful 2013 filled with good healthy, peace, and love! Thanks for your continuous support of the Time for Dinner blog, and looking forward to sharing more fun times together in the new year!

Friday Night Fun at Musha

Friday night dinner with Tiffany, Jesse, Shannon, and Kevin, at Musha in Santa Monica. TGIF!

(Clockwise from top left): Aburi Saba; Ponzu Duck; Kakuni; Spicy Tuna Dip.

Tofu French Fries; two kinds of sauces for the tofu; M.F.C. (Musha Fried Chicken); Ebimayo.

Musha’s Risotto; Aski; Black Sesame Ice Cream; Takotama.

Just Trust It: Sushi Sasabune

There isn’t much that I can say about Sushi Sasabune in West Los Angeles that hasn’t already been said … and pretty much everything I wanted to say was already said beautifully by John Oliver at LAist.  So I’m going to make this post really short and let the pictures speak for themselves.

We all go to sushi restaurants for different things. If you want delicious spicy tuna on crunchy rice, to go Katsuya. If you want non-traditional American-style sushi, go to Yamato or Sushi Dan. But if you want to experience sushi with the highest quality of fish, go to Sasabune, and order the Japanese omakase course.  Don’t even bother with anything else.  And make sure to follow the “soy sauce” and “no soy sauce” rule to experience each piece of sushi at its best.

This place is seriously one of, if not the best, sushi restaurants in Los Angeles.

Pen Fish (tastes like clam), Baby Tuna, and Albacore with ponzu.

Tuna and toro, halibut and clam, oyster and mussel baked in mayonnaise

Aji (Spanish Mackerel) and Anaebi (sweet shrimp), shrimp eggs in ponzu.  There was a fried shrimp head that accompanied them (which I forgot to take a picture of).

Clam and squid, uni (sea urchin) and ikura (salmon roe), anago (freshwater eel) and I forgot what the other one was. At the end, we all received a simple hand roll with real crab meat.

Sasabune
12400 Wilshire Blvd., West Los Angeles, CA 90025
★★★★★

Hokkaido Gourmet Food Fair: Mitsuwa Market

As much as I love food, I am not usually the one to drive hours and hours for it (I may wait in a long line because I’m a culinary ambulance chaser but driving is a different story altogether). My boyfriend, however, is, so I was not surprised when he asked me to go to Hokkaido with him for a bowl of ramen. Thank goodness Hokkaido came to Torrance this weekend, instead of us having to fly over to the northernmost island of Japan.

When we got to Mistuwa Market, one of the hosts of Hokkaido Gourmet Food Fair (others were at its Costa Mesa and San Diego locations), at around 11:30 a.m., we made a beeline to Ramen Shingen for the limited edition, salt-flavored ramen. The line was about seven people deep when we arrived and by the time we started eating, the line had extended all the way to the other end, about 30 people! Although I am not a huge fan of ramen, particularly shio ramen, I found this to be pretty refreshing with light broth and thick noodles. And the fatty chashu was out of this world.  (You can see more yummy pictures at Keizo’s blog here, at  Go Ramen.)

My boyfriend could have been happy with the bowl of ramen, but my day was not going to be complete until I explored all the other delicious offerings. Right after lunch, and after grabbing several fish cakes and croquettes from the deli sections to take home for dinner, we walked over to the other side for crepe. The price was pretty steep at $5.00 a pop (for something that takes 25 cents to make) but I was happy with the green tea crepe that had whipped cream (Hokkaido is known for wonderful milk products and although I don’t like whipped cream in general, this one was different in a very luscious way), a good chunk of sweet anko (red bean paste) and a sprinkle of green tea power wrapped in air thin, chewy crepe dough. It was fun watching the crepe maker busy at work!

The highlight of the day, for me, was definitely the freshly made Shiro Taiyaki. Regular yaikyaki (translates to “baked bream,” because of the shape) is made out of yellow waffle-like batter but this special, Hokkaido kind was made out of rice flour, which gave it a more sticky and chewy texture, like mochi. For a die-hard mochi and anko lover, this one made my eyes roll backward.

In addition, we enjoyed ohagi, sweet mochi rice wrapped in anko (which was absolutely divine), curry pan (fried bread with velvety Japanese curry in the middle) and vanilla and French pear soft serve ice creams which added the delicious exclamation point to this wonderfully satisfying afternoon in Hokkaido.

Traveler’s Oasis: Dojima Ann

Of all the fabulous places one can dine in the culinary rich San Francisco, I ate at the little hole-in-the-wall Japanese restaurant near my hotel – twice! As usual, I was totally craving the taste of home!

Dojima Ann, located a few blocks from the hustle and bustle of Union Square, is not just a little friendly Japanese noodle shop but an oasis for any Japanese or Japanese-food loving travelers tired of dining at fancy restaurants and just want simple, down-home cooking (the place was packed with those appeared to be Japanese tourists). What is so pleasantly surprising about this place is that despite its location, it offers many authentic, Osaka-style dishes that you would only expect in Asian enclave.

I ordered a bowl of Daikon Oroshi Udon, a cold udon noodle with grated Japanese radish, quail egg, fish cake, scallion and root vegetables (pictured above), served with dipping sauce, and a side of hamachi (yellowtail) cut roll to calm my Japanese food craving. (pictured below).  They were both so darn tasty!

I guess you can take a girl out of Japan, but you can’t take Japanese food craving out of a girl.

Dojima Ann
★★★★☆

My Favorite Home Cook Next Door: Harumi Kurihara

Equally as respectable as classically-trained celebrity chefs (with their new restaurants popping up all over the world like zits on a teenage kid’s face) are some of the emerging “home cooks,” who, despite their lack of formal culinary training, bring a joy of cooking to average food lovers like myself, thanks to a powerful vehicle like Food Network.

I like watching shows with veteran home cooks like Ina Garten and Nigella Lawson (seriously, can she be any hotter?) who unapologetically toss five sticks of butter to make a little entrée for two (you go ladies!). And although I fear that I have accidentally flipped the channel to an inappropriate station whenever I see her joyfully massaging ground beef while sporting a very low-cut shirt, Giada De Laurenttis (my friend Gabriel and I call her the “Baby Nigella” because she’s sexy but not as much as the undisputed Domestic Goddess) is actually pretty fun to watch too. I like the fact that they have somehow remained authentic and true to their culinary roots which makes watching their shows educational, as well as entertaining. (fyi, I can’t stand Ms. E-V-O-O, thank you very much!)

One home cook who is virtually unknown in the Western market and has gone completely under the food-obsessed American media radar is Harumi Kurihara, Japan’s version of the domestic diva, who has been inspiring millions of Japanese home cooks with Martha Stewart-like vim and vigor (and equally impressive empire with appearances in numerous Japanese television shows, 20-plus cookbooks and her own magazine … all while staying out of jail) for over two decades, introducing them to fresh and creative ways of turning ordinary, everyday ingredients into innovative dishes. My favorite talent of Harumi is her incredible ability to resurrect the often unwanted leftover food into a stunning new dish.

Her menus are delicious but surprising simple, quick and very straightforward — making many wonder why I didn’t come up with the recipe. Her food in an award-winning cookbook Harumi’s Japanese Cooking is perfect for people who are curious and want to dive into Japanese home cooking (like Japanese Somen Noodle Salad, Spaghettini with Fish Roe Dressing, Japanese-Style Green Risotto, and Tofu and Avocado Dressing), and equally appropriate for Japanese cooks who’s looking for some inspiration to add creativity into their everyday meals.

Her Carrot and Tuna Salad (she says that this recipe, “has proved to be one of the most popular”) is a perfect representation of what you’ll find in her cookbook. There’s nothing special about this salad, really – just a mixture of julienned carrots with finely chopped onion and garlic, and a canned tuna tossed in mustard dressing – but when you take a bite into it, you will taste something so familiar but new, something so simple but robust, and something so healthy but hearty. I made this salad for the first time for dinner last night, and believe me, I was under her magical spell just after one bite!

Yep, It’s That Good: Katsuya

I don’t think I’ve seen food disappear so quickly!

This Friday is my dear colleague and friend Renee’s last day with the company (I’m so sad), so a group of us took her out to Katsuya for some drinks and great sushi, to celebrate the new chapter in her career.  Since we are all sushi addicts (we’re seriously concerned that we may get sick from mercury poisoning because we eat so much raw fish), choosing the perfect place for this soiree was a no brainer. On the boulevard that houses countless, countless sushi restaurants, Katsuya is, no doubt, a standout. And I’m not the only one who happens to think so.

If you ask any Angelenos to name the best sushi restaurant around, I guarantee you that this place will top the list. This little hole in a wall, tucked away in a shopping center in Studio City, is one of those rare places that actually lives up to the hype of being one of, if not the best, sushi restaurant in town. Sure, Katsuya’s repertoires consist more of those untraditional, “American” dishes that some sushi purists may not agree with but the ingredients are fresh and the flavor is out of this world. Anyone who experiences its popular crunchy tuna and seared albacore with crispy onion (both pictured below) will fall head over heels over this place, I’m sure of it.

The famous crunchy tuna thing

The crispy onion — the best!

Robert Roll (I have no idea who Robert is, but the roll sure was delicious)

White Fish Carpaccio with arugula and sun-dried tomatoes

Seafood Sunomono

Yellowtail Sashimi

Crab Meat Stuffed in Tuna Sashimi

Fried Green Tea Ice Cream

Green Tea Tiramisu (WOW!)

Oh, and how about some celebrity sighting for dessert? It’s not rare that you find A-list celebrities enjoying great sushi here, even during a week. But despite its soaring popularity among the rich and famous, as well as not-to rich and famous (like me), the restaurant remains dinky and unpretentious, and that’s what’s so charming about this place.

Just a note – this place doesn’t have a menu and all its daily specials are written on the board. If you’re going to dine there for the first time, it’s probably best to sit at a table where you can actually see the board on the wall, especially if you’re not too sushi savvy. The first time my boyfriend and I went to Katsuya, we sat at a counter and we could not see the menu worth a dam and struggled to order what we wanted.

Katsuya
11680 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604
★★★★★

Dude, Where’s My Food? Nobu Los Angeles

(Excuse me, may we eat these peanuts? We’re still hungry.)

My mother always told me that Japanese food is meant to be savored with the eyes first, then the stomach. She certainly practices what she preaches because everything she prepares (even a little bento box she packs for father daily) is vibrant, playful and charming — a total visual and gastronomic treat.

My pals and I — craving something new and interesting – made a trip over the hill to check out the buzz surrounding Nobu in Los Angeles.  Located only a few blocks from the original restaurant that started the sushi revolution in Los Angeles, Nobu is the newest member of the Matstuhisa empire — and a perfect epicurean getaway for us foodies looking for a little fun in the city … or so we had hoped.

We ordered several dishes to share as suggested by our server, and when plates arrived to our table one by one, I remembered the wise words of my mother.  Dishes at Nobu were definitely a feast to the eyes.  Just a quick glance at the beautiful Toro Tartar that resembled an abstract artwork proves the pride chefs put into presentation.

Toro Tartar with Caviar

However, what Nobu forgot was the second part of the philosophy, that it should also be enjoyed with the stomach. I understand that the majority of the clienteles in a trendy restaurant like Nobu are size 2 models and actresses, but are you kidding me?  These dishes were way too tiny!  Especially for the price we’re dishing out for these plates, we would have loved to see something with a little more substance, than just a sprinkle of chopped fish for a full order of ceviche. We ended up ordering a couple bowls of steamed rice just so that we didn’t have to make a beeline to a nearby fast food drive thru after dinner.  I was even tempted to eat those peanut-looking lights hanging from the ceiling!

Ceviche Nobu Style

King Crab Tempura with Amazu Ponzu Sauce (the best dish of the night!)

Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno

Black Cod with Miso

Mixed Vegetable with Truffle Butter (the only dish with real substance, I thought.)

Make no mistake about it – everything served at Nobu is fresh, tasty and fabulous, and the service is absolutely out of this world (I think there were more servers than customers there!).  And Nobu Matsuhisa is pretty much a culinary God.  His ability to use traditional Japanese ingredients like yuzu and mixing it up with South American (Peruvian) touches like jalapeno is nothing less than magical.  However, the magic was lost a bit by an unsatisfactory portion. Maybe it’s just me, that I don’t have much of an appreciation for trendy, pretentious, anorexic-portion-serving dining spots, but I think I would choose the generous portion of my mom’s bento box over this fancy meals any day, thank you very much.

Nobu Los Angeles
903 North La Cienega Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069
★★★☆☆

But the food alone gets ★★★★★

A Sweet Culinary Playground: Green Tea Cake

One thing I regret to this day is not visiting Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki when I was in Paris a few years ago, to experience his famous Matcha Opera Cake, or any of his world-renowned green-tea inspired desserts for that matter. Ever since I read about him about five years ago in a Japanese fashion magazine, I’ve been smitten by his creativity and the ability to incorporate traditional Japanese ingredients such as matcha (green tea) and yuzu (citrus fruit) into authentic French pastries, and I’ve been inspired to include something similar to my own baking repertoire.

The thing that kept me from making any matcha desserts until now, however, was my inability to locate green tea powder, which is the key component of these desserts. I had tried several Japanese grocery stores in the past but all I could find were “green ice tea mix,” which already included sugar. And when I finally did find them, they were too expensive for me to afford. Then, when I was making my regular rounds to Teavana the other day, I ran into one that was reasonably priced at $16 an once so I snatched up a couple for my pantry. Now fully equipped, I was eagerly ready to enter the Franco-Japanese culinary melting pot.

While visiting Cupcake Bakeshop by Chockylit a few months back, I encountered this amazing recipe for Green Tea, Lavender, and Honey Cupcake Bombe. I had since filed it away in my baking “to do” folder hoping to someday bring it to life, and I was able to finally wipe off the dust and put this recipe to work! I thought about making the full-blown version of the bombe at first, but after contemplating I decided to just try the green tea cake recipe for more simple dessert.

Would you like a cake to go with my butter?

I recommend this recipe to anyone who is interested in making a dense, moist, oh-so-heavenly matcha cupcake or a sheet cake as I did here. I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of butter and sugar that went into this beautiful pistachio-colored batter but you will realize when you take a first bite that all the fat and calories are worth it.  And because it is rich, a small slice will satisfy your sweet tooth. One mistake I made was mixing the matcha power with the dry ingredients when the recipe called to dissolve the powder with milk and incorporate it into the wet ingredients.  Oops (but the end result still came out perfect, thank goodness).

Look how beautiful the batter looks!

My initial plan was to sandwich the sweet red bean (azuki) paste between two heart-shaped cake, but the cake was already pretty thick so I settled on placing azuki on the side, and finished off by sprinkling powered sugar on top. I matched the cake with steaming Japanese green tea, of course!

I really like the simplicity of this dessert. Keeping everything beautiful yet clean and simple allow the flavors to take center stage, which is what makes Japanese and French desserts truly timeless.