Pan Asian Cuisine

[Kitchen Witch]

Grilled miso chicken
Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu)
* 2 tablespoons sake
* 2 tablespoons mirin
* 2 tablespoons light miso
* 2 green onions, crushed and slivered
* 1 teaspoon minced ginger root
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 8 boned chicken thighs, skin intact
* 1 tablespoon seven-spice powder (optional)

Preparation/cooking time: 1 1/2 hours

Servings: 4

Miso marinade adds a rich flavor to this country-style grilled chicken. Thigh meat stays moist and tender, but boned chicken breasts are delicious, too. The chicken can be sauteed in a skillet.
Directions

Blend soy sauce, sake mirin, miso, green onions, ginger root and garlic in a rectangular baking dish. Coat chicken with mixture. Marinate 1 hour or refrigerate overnight, turning several times.

Preheat a hibichi, portable tabletop grill or charcoal grill. Shake marinade off chicken; pat dry. Place skin-down on hot grill. Grill 4 to 5 minutes. Turn chicken; grill second side 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and done inside. When chicken is done, sprinkle with sesame seeds and spice mixture.

[Kitchen Witch]

Deep-fried Chicken Nuggets (Tori no kara-age)
Ingredients:

* 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes

For the marinade:

* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 30g (1 oz) root ginger, peeled and grated
* 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and grated
* salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the coating:

* 2 tablespoons cornflour
* 2 tablespoons plain flour
* vegetable oil, for deep frying
* 2 slices lemon, to garnish

The mixture of garlic, ginger and soy sauce enhances the taste of the chicken, with the sliced lemon giving refreshing "bite" to these delicious nuggets.
1. Marinate the chicken with the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper for 30 minutes.
2. Mix the cornflour with the plain flour. Take each piece of chicken from the marinade and roll in the flour mixture until completely coated.
3. Heat the oil to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F) and deep-fry the chicken pieces for 4-5 minutes or until a burnished golden brown. Garnish with the sliced lemon and serve on a bed of salad leaves.

[Kitchen Witch]

Tori no mizutaki (chicken stew)
Ingredients:

* 1 lb chicken drumsticks chopped into 1-inch pieces (Use cleaver or heavy knife)
* 1 lb tofu, pressed and drained, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1 bundle watercress
* 1 Chinese cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces
* 2 cups shirataki (or substitute bean vermicelli, available at your nearest Chinese grocery store)
* 2 cups spring onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
* 1 cup carrots, thinly sliced diagonally
* 8 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water (Keep this water.)
* 1 2 inch x 6 inch kombu seaweed, or
* 2 tsp. dashi powder (not for purists)

Dipping sauce

* 1 cup Kikkoman soy sauce
* 1/2 cup rice vinegar
* 1 lemon

Directions

Add 1 inch of water to a 12-inch table-top skillet (electric or gas, whatever is available). Add the kombu and boil. Just before it starts to actually boil, remove the kombu. If you are using dashi powder, add it now (tsk, tsk...). If you soaked the shiitake mushrooms, dump that water in here, too. Anyway, just put whatever you want to eat in the water to cook it until ready. Serve with dipping sauce (just mix what's shown above) and lots of steamed rice. It will make you very warm.

If you have the luxury of obtaining shichimi togarashi, sprinkle in a bit for added flavour.

When you are finished, dump some rice into the remaining water and cook gently to make congee. It's soooo good in the morning.

[Kitchen Witch]

Marinated chicken wings
Ingredients:

* 2 lb. chicken wings (cut off the tops of the wings)

[Marinade]

* 2 tablespoons sake or white wine
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon ginger root, minced

[Sauce] (prepare this 2 to 3 hours before use)

* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon ginger root, minced
* 4 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons vinegar
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 tablespoon sesame oil
* 2 or 3 stalks green onion, finely chopped
* tabasco to taste (optional)

Cooking time: 1 hour +

Servings: 4

Soy-sauce based chicken wings, hot or mild, can be a great appetizer for a party. The marination step takes some time but the rest is very easy to prepare. This dish goes very well with beer or sake.
Directions

Marinate chicken wings at least 1 hour. Drain off the marinade and bake the wings at 400F on the top shelf of the oven for about 40 to 60 min. Turn the wings a couple of times while baking. Arrange the chicken wings on a plate and pour the sauce over the wings.

[Kitchen Witch]

Oyako-donburi (chicken and egg over rice)
Ingredients:

* 1/4 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
* about 2 oz. chicken breast, sliced
* Shiitake mushrooms (fresh or dry), thinly sliced, if available
* 2 or 3 snow peas, julienned (cut into long thin strips)
* 2 stalks green onion, chopped in 1 to 2 inch lengths
* 1 egg, beaten

[Dashi]:

* 1/2 tsp dashi no moto, dissolved in 1/2 cup of water, or you may substitute 1/2 cup chicken stock
* 2 tablespoons or more soy sauce*, as needed
* 1 tablespoon or more brown sugar*, adjusted for desired sweetness

* you can adjust these while cooking the vegetables and meat.

* one serving freshly cooked Japanese-style rice

Cooking time: 20-30 minutes

Servings: 1

This dish belongs to the ten-ya-mono category of Japanese recipes. A tenyamono usually consists of gu (topping -- Ed.) which is placed on top of freshly cooked warm rice in a donburi (porcelain bowl). The gu can be any of following: tempura; tonkatsu; beef cutlet; quick-cooked vegetables with with beef, pork, or chicken (sometimes cooked with a beaten egg); or some types of seafood including sashimi (sliced tuna or other variety). O-yako means parent and child, reflecting the use of chicken and egg in this dish.
Directions

In a small skillet, place the sliced yellow onion, sliced shiitake mushrooms and dashi. Cook for 2 to 3 miniutes until the onion is tender. While cooking, add the chicken slices and green onion. When the chicken is cooked, spread the beaten egg over the vegetables and meat. Sprinkle the julienned snow peas on top immediately. Cook until the egg hardens partially or completely, as you like. Pour a little of the sauce on top.

To serve, you may put the rice on a dinner plate and place your gu on top of the rice. Or you may serve it in the same way in a donburi. If you cook for two or more, use a large skillet, divide the gu (topping), then serve.

[Kitchen Witch]

Crabmeat with Wasabi Mayonnaise
Ingredients:

* 1 tablespoon sake
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 8 fresh Alaskan (snow) crab sticks
* ice water, for chilling
* 4 strips of daikon 4 inches by 1/2 inch (10cm by 12mm)
* 16 long chives, stemmed
* 1/4 punnet mustard cress

For wasabi mayonnaise:

* 1 3/4 oz (50g) light mayonnaise
* 1/3 oz (10g) wasabi

Serves 4
Directions

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add sake and salt. Wrap the sticks of crabmeat with a cotton cloth, and tie so they don't come apart, then boil. When cloth floats to the surface, remove crab and place in iced water. Unwrap the crab legs once they have cooled.

Mix wasabi and mayonnaise to a smooth consistency. Cut each crab stick in half. Tie 2 crab sticks together with 4 pieces chives. Place a tied crab stick to stand on cut end on each bowl, and top with wasabi mayonnaise, daikon strip and mustard cress.

Hint: Lobster meat can be substituted for crabmeat.

[Kitchen Witch]

Japanese-style curry rice
Ingredients:

* 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
* 2 or 3 potatoes, cut into big or small chunks
* 2 carrots, diced
* 1 cup whole mushrooms
* up to 3/4 lb. beef or other meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
* 1 box curry roux (Japanese brand)
* one serving freshly cooked warm rice

Cooking time: 3 hours

Read the instruction on the box of commercial curry roux and find out what ingredients you need first. You may increase or decrease the amount of vegetables and meat by as much as 50% if you wish. However, the amount of water you add should not be decreased. If the consistency of the curry stew is too thick, adjust it by adding water at the end. The commercial curry roux contains everything, so you do not need to add salt or pepper. Typical ingredients are listed above.
Directions

Heat a deep pan and add one or two tablespoons of oil. Saute the sliced onion over medium heat until it softens. Brown the meat separately, then add it to the onion. Add water as specified, add a bay leaf, and simmer for 2 hours. Then add the potatoes, carrots and mushrooms and continue simmering. When the potates and carrots are tender add the curry roux. Simmer gently for 15 minutes while stirring. Serve with rice.

[Kitchen Witch]

Shredded Daikon
Ingredients:

* Daikon

Tsuma, or edible garnishes, are an essential component of sashimi. The colors and flavors are carefully chosen to complement each dish. Garnishes sush as ugo (salted seaweed), shredded daikon, and shiso, an aromatic leaf from the mint family, are always used in small amounts.

Shredded daikon, one of the most popular garnishes, is traditionally prepared with a vegetable-carving knife. A mandoline can also be used. The cutting technique below can be used for many vegetables.
1. Using a vegetable-carving knife or paring knife, peel a section of daikon. Alternatively, use a peeler.
2. Placing knife at a right angle to work surface, cut daikon into very thin slices.
3. Separate slices and place in bowl of water, or refrigerate in water for 15 minutes. Drain well before using.

[Kitchen Witch]

Dashi, ponzu (Japanese cooking basics)

Here are a few basics of Japanese cooking that are used in other recipes in this section.
Katsuo Dashi (Basic Dashi Stock)
Ingredients:

* 2 1/2 x 1 1/2 in. (6 x 4 cm) dried kelp (konbu)
* 7 cups (1 3/4 liters) water
* 4 cups (50g) dried bonito flakes

Wipe the kelp with a damp cloth, then put it in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil uncovered; just before the water comes to a boil, remove and discard the kelp. Sprinkle in the bonito flakes and remove saucepan from heat. As soon as the bonito flakes start to sink, strain stock and discard bonito flakes. This stock, which is the basis of many sauces and soups, can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Helpful hint: Instant dashi granules (dashi-no-moto) make a quick alternative if small amounts of the stock are needed; however, for soups and stock for simmered dishes, it is preferable to make your own dashi.
Dengaku Miso
Ingredients:

* 1 3/4 cups (500g) red or white miso
* 1/3 cup (100ml) sake
* 1/3 cup (100ml) mirin
* 3 tablespoons (50g) sugar

Put all ingredients into a saucepan, preferably nonstick, and heat slowly, stirring from time to time. When it has come to a boil, reduce heat to a minimum and cook, stirring from time to time, for 20 minutes. Cool and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
Ponzu (Citrus sauce)
Ingredients:

* 3 x 2 1/2 in. (8x6 cm) dried kelp (konbu)
* 1 3/4 cups (450ml) musk lime (ponzu or kala-mansi) juice, or lemon juice
* 1 3/4 cups (450ml) dark soy sauce
* 1/3 cup (90ml) mirin
* 1/4 cup (70ml) tamari soy sauce
* 4 cups (40g) dried bonito flakes

Heat the dried kelp over a gas flame or under a broiler (grill), then put into a bowl with all other ingredients. Refrigerate for 3 days, then strain. Can be stored for up to 1 year. (Bottled ponzu can be purchased in Japanese stores.)
Sweet Vinegar (Amazu)
Ingredients:

* 2 cups (500ml) water
* 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (275ml) rice vinegar
* 10 tablespoons (150g) sugar
* 2 teaspoons salt

Bring water and vinegar to a boil in a saucepan, then add sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Cool and use as a dipping sauce for vegetables. Keeps refrigerated up to 10 days.

[Kitchen Witch]

Eggplant Salad with Lemon-flavored Plum Dressing
Ingredients:

* 4 small eggplants, each about 3 1/2 ounces (100g)
* 3 or 4 shiso leaves, finely shredded, optional

Dressing

* 2 tablespoons pickled plum paste
* 3 tablespoons lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons maple syrup
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 teaspoon salt

Serves 4
Directions

1. Slice the eggplant lengthwise, then cut into bite-sized pieces and soak in water for about 5 minutes. Drain, and squeeze to remove excess liquid.

2. To make the dressing, combine the pickled plum paste, lemon juice, maple syrup, olive oil, and salt, and mix well.

3. Bring a pan of water to a boil, add the eggplant, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Alternatively, fry the eggplant in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

4. Arrange the eggplant on a serving plate, and drizzle with the dressing. Granish with shredded shiso, if available.

[Kitchen Witch]

Flat Fish with Salt (Karei Shio-yaki)
Ingredients:

* 1 1/3 lb (600g) flat fish, such as flounder, sole or pomfret
* 2 tablespoons salt
* Lemon wedge to garnish
* 10 oz (300g) daikon (giant white radish), very finely grated and squeezed to extract moisture

Lotus root garnish:

* 2 oz (60g) fresh lotus root, peeled and thinly sliced
* 3 tablespoons (50ml) Sweet Vinegar*
* 1 red chili, seeds discarded
* 1/3 cup (80ml) ponzu sauce**

Sprinkling fresh fish liberally with salt before grilling helps keep in the moisture.
Directions

Prepare lotus root garnish several hours before it is required. Boil the sliced lotus root in water for 30 seconds, drain and put it in the sweet vinegar. Heat the chili in a dry pan for a few seconds, then add to the vinegar and ponzu sauce. Refrigerate.

Clean and scale the fish. Dry with a paper towel and make two deep crosswise incisions on each side. Put a skewer through the tail end of the fish, making it come out in the center and continuing to the head so that the fish has a wave shape. Sprinkle both sides of the fish lightly with salt, then press a liberal amount of salt onto the tail and fins.

Cook the fish over a moderately hot charcoal fire or under a broiler (grill) turning it with the skewer to avoid damaging the skin, until the fish is golden on both sides and cooked through. Serve on a plate garnished with lemon wedge, grated daikon and the marinated lotus root.

* See recipe for Sweet Vinegar

** See recipe for ponzu sauce

[Kitchen Witch]

Green Beans in Sesame Dressing (Ingen no goma-ae)
Ingredients:

* 175g (6 oz.) frozen whole green beans
* a pinch of salt

For the dressing:

* 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
* 1 tablespoon caster sugar *
* 2/3 tablespoon dashi stock **
* 1/2 tablespoon miso paste
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Sesame enjoys a reputation of being a healthy food in Japan and both black and white sesame are common ingredients in Japanese cuisine. To toast the seeds for this recipe, simply put them in a frying pan without oil then heat while stirring until the seeds have puffed up and you can smell the distinctive aroma of sesame.
Directions

1. Boil the beans in a pan of water for 5 minutes or until tender.

2. Finely grind the sesame seeds in a pestle and mortar or in a coffee grinder. Add the sugar, dashi, miso paste and soy sauce and mix together well.

3. Toss the green beans in the sesame dressing and serve as a side dish.

* Caster sugar is superfine granulated sugar.

** See the recipe for dashi (Japanese fish stock); you can also make instant dashi from freeze-dried granules, available in many Asian grocery stores.

[Kitchen Witch]

Hiyashi-chuuka (cold Chinese-style noodles)
Ingredients:
[Tare soup]

* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 3 tablespoons white vinegar
* 5 tablespoons chicken stock
* 1 teaspoon sesame oil
* 1 tablespoon Chinese or Japanese hot mustard (optional)

[Gu]

* 2 eggs, fried crepe-style (like a thin omelette), then cut into thin strips
* 2 or 3 slices ham, julienned (cut into thin strips)
* 1/2 cucumber, julienned
* lettuce, thinly sliced (optional)
* 1 small carrot, julienned. Boil and let it cool before serving.
* 2 leaves cabbage, thinly sliced. Boil and let cool before serving.

* 8 oz. angel hair spaghetti

Cooking time: 30 min

Servings: 2

This is an imitation of hiyashi chuuka soba, a favorite summertime dish. [despite its name, actually made with ramen noodles, not soba -- Ed.] The only difference from the genuine hiyashi is the use of spaghetti noodles instead of ramen noodles. You will be surprised that you won't taste that much of difference at all if you have tasted real hiyashi before.
Directions

Cook the spaghetti and keep it cool. Prepare the tare soup and gu as described above. Place cold spaghetti on a plate and garnish with gu. Pour the tare soup over the noodles just before eating.

[Kitchen Witch]

Miso soup variations
Ingredients:
Types of gu and preparation suggestions

* Chinese cabbage, cut into bite-size squares or triangles
* Cabbage, cut into bite-size squares or triangles
* Lettuce, cut into bite-size squares or triangles
* Green onions, sliced
* Onions, sliced
* Leeks, sliced or chopped
* Okra, chopped
* Butternut squash*, thinly sliced
* Snow pea pods
* Green beans*
* Daikon*, thinly sliced
* Potatoes*, thinly sliced
* Sweet potatoes*, thinly sliced
* Mushrooms, sliced
* Bean sprouts
* Tofu, cut into small cubes
* Wakame seaweed
* Natto beans, minced

* These hard vegetables must be cooked for ten minutes or so. Not recommended: green pepper, celery (vegetables with strong flavor)

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Servings: 4

This soup is served every morning in Japan, with the flavors of seasonal vegetables. There are several different kinds of miso paste available in the United States. Shiro-miso paste is a mild one and is low in salt. On the other hand, aka-miso is very salty and has a different, stronger fragrance than shiro-miso. Miso soup base is made out of a fish stock called dashi. You can purchase dashi at any Oriental food shop. You can enjoy almost any vegetable with this soup, from lettuce to snow pea pods. Here's a list of vegetables you might want to try in the miso soup.
Tofu, green onion and mushroom miso

Here is a recipe that uses tofu, green onions, and mushrooms.
Ingredients:

* about 30 half-inch cubes tofu
* 4 mushrooms, sliced
* 2 stalks green onions, chopped
* 4 cups water
* 2 teaspoons dashi (nomoto)
* 3-4 tablespoons miso (adjust to taste)

Directions

Boil 4 cups of water and dashi. Add tofu and mushrooms, simmer gently about 3 minutes. Add miso and dissolve completely. Immediately turn off the heat and add chopped green onions, then serve.

Note: You have to cook the hard vegetables longer. If you have a combination of soft and hard vegetables, add the soft vegetables later. The miso flavor will weaken if you overcook the miso.

[Kitchen Witch]

Naganegi Stuffed with Crabmeat
Ingredients:

* 2 thick naganegi (or leeks)
* 5/6 cup (200cc) water
* 1 teaspoon gelatin
* 1/2 chicken bouillon cube
* 2 tablespoons fresh cream
* 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
* dash sugar
* 3 1/2 ounces (100g) crabmeat, cooked and shredded

Serves 6
Directions

Cut the naganegi into 1 1/2 inch (4 cm) lengths, and add to a saucepan of boiling water for 6 to 7 minutes, until they are slightly soft. Drain and cool. When cool, push out and remove the centers, leaving only about 2 layers of skin.

Combine the water, gelatin, and bouillon cube in a small microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave for 1 minute. Take out 2 2/3 tablespoons (40cc) of the gelatin liquid and place it in a separate small mixing bowl, add the fresh cream, mayonnaise, sugar and crabmeat, and mix. Set this bowl into a larger bowl of ice to chill.

When the mixture has jelled, use it to stuff the naganegi pieces. Refrigerate the remaining gelatin mixture for about 2 hours. When chilled, spread it over a serving plate, and arrange the stuffed naganegi on top.
Wine pairing notes

Chardonnay
Vintage Champagne

As with all crustaceans, crab traditionally pairs with lighter whites. However, here combined with the sweetness from the cooked naganegi and mixed with mayonnaise and fresh cream, it requires a medium- to full-bodied white. A premium oak-aged Chardonnay that has undergone malolactic fermentation and battonage (stirring of lees), from a cool climate, such as New Zealand, matches well. The latter vinification techniques create a softer, fuller wine with a rounded acidity that counterbalances the ingredients of the dish.

[Kitchen Witch]

Homemade natto (fermented soybeans)
Ingredients:

* two cups dried soybeans
* water
* one package commercial natto

Preparation time: 2-3 days
Directions

Note: Please read the entire recipe first and make a note of the ingredients and utensils that will be needed. The starter culture must be obtained from store-bought natto, unless you have other sources such as rice straw.

1. Soak two cups of dried soybeans overnight in ten cups of water.

2. Put the soybeans in a stainless steel basket (or colander) and cover it with a piece of cloth slightly larger than the basket.

3. Put the above in a pressure cooker with 3 cups water, and place it on the stove. Turn on the stove.

4. After the pressure cooker starts hissing, turn down the flame so that the hissing is at its minimum level.

5. Cook for 15 minutes (measured from the time the hissing has started).

6. DO NOT OPEN the pressure cooker yet. Allow the pressure cooker and its contents to cool down. If waiting is not your style, place the pressure cooker in the sink filled with cold water. (The soy beans are considered to have cooled down as long as its temperature is below 140 degrees F.)

7. Make sure that the kitchen counter and its surrounding area are absolutely clean. Sterilize a tablespoon with boiling water.

8. Wash your hands and arms - long-sleeved shirts not recommended.

9. Have a package of commercial natto ready.

10. Open the lid of the pressure cooker, peel back the cloth cover to one end of the basket, and using the tablespoon, quickly mix in about two spoonfuls of natto starter with the beans. Replace the cloth cover.

11. Close the pressure cooker lid with its air relief hole uncovered.

12. Place the cooker in a picnic ice-chest and place an electric heating pad over it. Replace the ice-chest cover.

The natto will be ready in between 24 and 48 hours, depending on the temperature of the heating pad. As an alternate heat source, a 7.5-watt lightbulb may be used. If you don't have a pressure cooker, a regular pot may be used. In this case, the cooking time will need to be increased to about two hours, and the amount of cooking water to about six cups.

[Kitchen Witch]

Nikujaga (beef and potato stew)
Ingredients:

* 1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 to 5 pieces each
* 1/3 lb. beef, thinly sliced
* 2/3 lb. yellow onions, sliced (about 1/3 inch wide)
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 400 cc water (about 1 1/2 cups)
* 3 tablespoons or more soy sauce (to taste)
* 3 tablespoons or more brown sugar (to taste)
* 2 tablespoons sake or white wine

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4

Ofukuro no aji -- Mom's cooking: This is a typical Japanese dish served at dinner. The main ingredients are russet potatoes, onions, and beef. The flavoring is based on soy sauce and sugar, very common for a Japanese dish.
Directions

Prepare vegetables as described above. Heat a deep pan and add oil and beef. Saute for a couple of minutes, then add onion and potato. Continue sauteing for 3 minutes. Add water, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sake or wine. Bring to a simmer half covered. Skim off any foam and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes until potatoes are don

[Kitchen Witch]

Oshinko (pickled Chinese cabbage)
Ingredients:

* 1 head Chinese cabbage
* 1/4 cup salt
* 1 tsp dried Japanese chili pepper (optional)
* 1 tsp shottsuru (optional) (fish sauce, available at Southeast Asian food stores, may be substituted. Called nuoc mam in Vietnamese or nam pla in Thai.)

Preparation time: 3 days
Directions

After washing, chop the cabbage into 1-inch pieces. In a glass, Corningware, or any other nonreactive bowl, place the drained cabbage and sprinkle salt over it, making layers. Place a plate over it and put a weight on it (at least 5 lbs.) Leave it for 3 days at room temperature, mixing it once a day and making sure that it is not rotting. If the leaves are withering, there isn't enough salt. After a day or so, there should be lots of liquid. It is ready when the cabbage is partly translucent and soft.

Serve with some katsuobushi (shaved dried bonito) and a little bit of shoyu (soy sauce). It oes very nicely with a traditional Japanese meal.

Most Japanese don't even know how to make this simple tsukemono anymore. It's always available at supermarkets in Japan. You can create your own flavours. My contribution is shottsuru, which was used like shoyu before shoyu was invented. It s made by fermenting fish in a wooden cask with lots of sea salt.

P.S. The amount of salt is for a very large cabbage often seen in Japan. For what I get around here, I use less. Maybe start with 2 tbs of salt and add more if necessary.

[Kitchen Witch]

Peanut cookies and chocolate chip cookies
Peanut cookies
Ingredients:

* 1 3/4 cups cake flour
* 1 stick margarine
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* a dash of vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup or more peanuts

Directions

Mix the margarine and brown sugar until fluffy then beat in the egg and vanilla. Mix the flour into the batter. Add peanuts and mix lightly. Drop from a teaspoon onto a greased baking pan. Flatten with a fork dipped in flour. Let them cool in a refrigerator for 20 min. Bake at 320F for 15 to 20 min.
Chocolate chip cookies
Ingredients:

* 1 3/4 cups cake flour
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 stick margarine
* 1/2 cup and one tablespoon brown sugar
* 1 egg
* a dash of vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon table salt
* 1/2 cup or more chopped walnuts*
* 1/2 cup or more chocolate chips*
* 1/2 cup or more raisins*

* Adjust the amount to taste
Directions

Mix the flour and baking soda by sifting (twice), then set the mixture aside. In a bowl, mix the margarine and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Mix the flour and baking soda into the batter. Add the rest of the ingredients (walnuts, chocolate chips, and raisins) and mix lightly. Drop from a teaspoon onto a greased baking pan. Flatten with a fork dipped in flour. Bake at 320F for 15 to 20 min.

[Kitchen Witch]

Bite-sized Pepper Steaks
Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons coarse-ground black pepper
* 2 beef steaks (rib roast or rib eye roast), about 1 pound (450g)
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
* 4 tablespoons (60 cc) mirin
* 2 2/3 tablespoons (40cc) soy sauce
* 3 buckwheat leaves (or cress leaves) for garnish

Serves 6
Directions

Pat the coarse-ground black pepper onto both sides of the beef until the meat is well coated. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the garlic, and saute until fragrant. Add the meat and cook until browned on both sides. Add the sugar, mirin, and soy sauce, and cook until the liquid thickens and coats the meat.

Cut the meat into bite-sized cubes and arrange on a serving dish. Garnish with the buckwheat or cress leaves.

[Kitchen Witch]

Japanese-style potato salad
Ingredients:

* 1 lb. russet potatoes
* 1/2 cucumber (see directions)
* 1/2 small white or yellow onion, thinly sliced (see directions)
* 1 teaspoon yellow mustard (a touch of Dijon mustard is also nice)
* 3 large sandwich slices of ham, cut into small squares
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* Salt and black pepper to taste

Cooking time: 30-40 minutes

Servings: 4

This potato salad tastes very close to the kind you buy in Japan. You could also add chopped apple slices to surprise your taste buds.
Directions

Boil the unpeeled potatoes. Meanwhile, cut the cucumber lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut the cucumber into thin slices and place them in a small bowl. Add one teaspoon salt and mix well. Cut the onion into thin slices and soak them in cold water until you're ready to use them. When the potatoes are done, remove the skins and cut the potatoes lengthwise, then cut them into pieces about 1 inch wide. Wash the cucumber with water and squeeze the water out. Also squeeze the water from the onion. Place the potatoes, cucumber and onion slices, ham, and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

[Kitchen Witch]

Curry-flavored potato croquettes
Ingredients:

* 1/4 lb. ground meat
* 1 lb. potatoes
* 1/2 medium yellow onion, minced
* 1/2 egg, beaten (to mix with the potato)
* 1 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
* 1 tablespoon oil
* salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste
* 1/2 cup flour
* 1 egg, beaten (to coat the korokke)
* 2 cups bread crumbs
* enough canola oil for deep-frying
* 8 cabbage leaves, thinly sliced and soaked in cold water until serving time

Cooking time: about 90 minutes

Servings: 4

This looks a lot like a knish; it's basically a piece of dough stuffed with potatoes, meat, or cheese and baked or fried. If my memory is right, it was invented in Japan by a chef who cooked for the Meiji Emperor. I believe the Japanese version of curry rice is also one of his creations.

This recipe uses beef or pork, but substituting canned salmon or tuna should work great. Also, I heard that tarako (cod roe, which has to be baked) can be used, too, if you care for tiny pink fish eggs.
Directions

Boil or microwave the unpeeled potatoes. Place the oil in a frying pan and add the onion. Saute until the onion is tender. Add the ground meat, salt, pepper, nutmeg and curry powder, then saute about 3 minutes until crumbled. Set the meat aside while you peel and mash the potatoes. Thoroughly mix the potatoes and the meat in a large bowl. Divide the potato mixture into eight parts, and shape each portion into a 1/2-inch thick ellipse. Dredge each portion in the flour and pat off the excess flour. Dip them into the egg and then into the bread crumbs on a plate. Deep- fry them at 350F for about 3 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Drain them on paper towels. Serve with thinly sliced cabbage and your favorite sauce (i.e. A1 steak sauce, ketchup, Heinz 57 or Japanese tonkatsu sauce).

[Kitchen Witch]

Sushi Rice (Sushi-Meshi)
Ingredients:

* 175g / 6 oz uncooked, matured short-grain rice
* 225ml / 8 fl oz cold water
* 2.5- to 5-cm /1- to 2-in strip dried kelp, wiped clean

For sushi vinegar:

* 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
* 1 tablespoon caster sugar [superfine granulated sugar]
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

This recipe will make one quantity of rice, which is sufficient for
2 uncut large rolls (futomaki-zushi)
or 4 uncut small rolls (hosomaki-zushi)
or 16 finger sushi (nigiri-zushi)

This is the basic technique for producing the glutinous, vinegar-flavoured rice that forms the basis of all types of sushi. Matured, Japanese or Californian short-grain rice is essential. To vary the quantity of cooked rice, remember that the ratio of uncooked rice to water should be 1 part rice to 1 1/4 parts water.
1. Start by washing the rice thoroughly until the water comes clear. Let the rice drain for 30 to 60 minutes. This will allow the grains to absorb moisture and start to swell.
2. Put the rice, water and kelp in a pan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring the mixture to the boil over a medium heat, removing the kelp just before the boiling point. Cover the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes. (Simmering time will vary depending on the quantity of rice.) Resist the temptation to lift the lid while the rice is cooking.
3. Turn off the heat, remove the lid and cover the pan with a teatowel. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for sushi vinegar in a pan. Heat until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat and pour the sushi vinegar into a cool bowl. To stop the vinegar distilling off, sit the bowl in cold water to speed cooling.
4. Using a wooden rice paddle, spoon the rice into a rice tub or bowl. Spread it out evenly, then run the paddle briefly through the rice cutting it first from side to side, then from top to bottom.
5. Continue cutting - never mashing or stirring - the rice, adding the sushi vinegar a little at a time. At the same time, ask someone to fan the rice to cool it. It should take about 10 minutes to mix in the sushi vinegar thoroughly and bring the rice to room temperature.

[Kitchen Witch]

Autumn chestnut rice
Ingredients:

* 2 medium-size dried shiitake mushrooms
* 2 cups rinsed short- or medium-grain rice, preferably shinmai
* 2-1/3 cups water (use 3 tablespoons less water if using shinmai)
* 1 (7-oz.) jar chestnuts in heavy syrup, drained
* 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu)
* 2 tablespoons mirin
* 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
* Radish sprouts (kaiwari daikon) (optional)

Preparation/cooking time: 1 hour

Servings: 3 or 4

Typhoons and red dragonflies are harbingers of Japanese autumn. So are burnished red maple leaves and shinmai, the first rice of the season. Celebrate the majesty of fall and serve this bountiful rice dish, with chestnuts, sweet potatoes and shiitake mushrooms.
Directions

Soak mushrooms in a bowl of warm water 30 minutes. Squeeze dry; cut off stems. Dice mushrooms. In a 3-quart saucepan, combine rinsed rice and water; soak 15 minutes. Rinse chestnuts to remove syrup. Drain well; cut into quarters. Add mushrooms, chestnuts, sweet potatoes, salt, soy sauce and mirin to saucepan with rice; stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Let stand, covered and undisturbed, 10 minutes. Carefully break up rice mixture with a dampened wooden rice paddle or spatula. Spoon rice mixture into serving bowls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and radish sprouts.

[Kitchen Witch]

Japanese-style salad dressing
Oil and Vinegar
Ingredients:

* 1 tbs rice vinegar
* 2 tbs vegetable oil
* 1 tsp sesame oil
* 1 tsp soy sauce
* salt and pepper

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Directions

Combine all ingredients.
Ginger Dressing
Ingredients:

* 1 tbs rice vinegar
* 1 tbs vegetable oil
* 1 tbs sesame oil
* 1 tbs grated fresh ginger
* 1 tsp soy sauce

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Directions

Combine all ingredients.

[Kitchen Witch]

Aromatic Baked Salmon
Ingredients:

* 4 salmon fillets, about 1 pound (450g)
* 4 hajikami pickled ginger shoots

Marinade

* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons sake
* 5 tablespoons mirin
* peel of 1 yuzu, grated

Serves 4
Directions

Place the salmon fillets in a casserole or other wide shallow dish. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the marinade and mix well. Pour over the salmon slices, and marinate for 4 to 5 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and cook the marinated salmon for 10 minutes, until golden brown. Serve each fillet with a shoot of hajikami pickled ginger.

[Kitchen Witch]

Scallops in Yuzu (Hotate Yuzu Kama-yaki)
Ingredients:

* 6 oz (160g) fresh scallops, quartered
* 1/2 cup (125g) red Dengaku Miso (see recipe)
* 4 yuzu oranges or mandarins
* 4 white hime radishes, or 4-in (10-cm) piece of daikon (giant white radish), quartered
* 4 teaspoons moro miso or red miso

Directions

Mix the scallops with the dengaku miso. Cut off the top of each yuzu and reserve as a lid. Hollow out the rest of the yuzu carefully and fill each with some of the scallop mixture. Set the lid aside and bake the filled yuzu in a 350 degree F (180 degree C, gas mark 4) oven for 15 minutes.

While the scallops are baking, peel the radish and boil in lightly salted water until soft. Drain, cool in iced water and reserve.

Place a yuzu and its lid on each serving dish, garnish with the radish and 1 teaspoon of miso.

Helpful hint: Shrimp can be substituted for scallops.

[Kitchen Witch]

Shabu-shabu (quick-cooked beef)
Ingredients:

* 1 lb very thinly sliced beef (sirloin), preferably grain-fed. Beer-fed Kobe beef is the best. I MEAN VERY THIN (less than 1/16 inch)
* 8 shiitake mushrooms
* 1/2 lb enoki mushrooms
* 1/2 lb shimeji mushrooms
* 1/2 lb shirataki
* 1 lb chinese cabbage
* 1/2 lb watercress, to substitute for spring chrysanthemum leaves
* 1 lb tofu, cut in 1 in. cubes, pressed and drained
* any other ingredients you want to use

Dipping sauce

In a small bowl, you should have soy sauce and lemon juice 2:1, as a dipping sauce.

Cooking time: varies

Servings: 4

Shabu-shabu means "swish-swish," referring to the swishing action when you cook a very thin slice of beef in hot water
.
Directions

On a portable range, place a medium-sized pot (1/2 gallon should do). Place a couple of slices of kombu (a sort of kelp) and cover with cold water. Gently bring the water to a boil and remove the kombu just before it actually starts to boil. When the water is boiling very, very gently, you're set.

Simply take one of the items, swish it around in the hot water for from a few seconds for beef to a few minutes for vegetables. Serve with hot steamed rice.

Enjoy!

[Kitchen Witch]

Preparing jumbo shrimp for nigiri-zushi
Ingredients:

* jumbo shrimp

This is the method to use when preparing jumbo shrimp (king prawns) for sushi. It will cook them the appropriate amount of time and prevent them from curling.

1. Wash shrimp under running water and cut off heads.

Insert a bamboo skewer or long toothpick along shrimp from head to tail, running along legs of shrimp without touching flesh.

Drop shrimp into a pot of salted, boiling water (use enough salt to make it taste like seawater). Boiling shrimp in salted water keeps protein in shrimp. They will sink to bottom and after 3 to 5 minutes will change color and rise to top. (Do not use a lid, or a strong smell of shrimp will remain.)

To check that they are cooked, remove one shrimp from water and squeeze gently. If inside is firm, it is cooked.

Quickly place shrimp in ice water. This gives them a good color and stops flesh from shrinking and becoming hard. When shrimp are cold, remove from ice water and place in a colander.

To remove skewer, use a screwing motion to avoid breaking flesh.

Remove shell from around body, but not tail.
2. To make butterfly cut, lay shrimp down with tail away from you, then cut from head to tail along belly with knife only going halfway in.

3. Use the knife or your fingers to open out and flatten shrimp carefully, without breaking the flesh.

Remove vein and rinse shrimp with mildly salted water. Lay on paper towels to drain.

Note: For sushi rolls and chirashi-zushi, remove tails and cut shrimp in half lengthwise, or leave whole.

[Kitchen Witch]

Okinawan sweet fritters
Ingredients:

* 1 large egg
* 1/2 cup evaporated milk
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 cup light brown sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/3 cup chunky or smooth Japanese bean paste
* 6 cups peanut oil or vegetable oil
* 1/4 cup sugar (optional)

Preparation/cooking time: 15 minutes

Servings: 12 fritters

When I lived in Okinawa, these wonderful fritters seemed to be the specialty of every obaasan, those incorrigible little grandmothers who are the darlings of their families. The nutritious red bean paste keeps this sweet snack soft and moist.
Directions

In a small bowl, combine egg and milk. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the egg and milk to the flour mixture; stir until blended. Stir in bean paste. In a wok or shallow pan, heat oil to 350 F (175C). Drop batter into the hot oil by the tablespoonful. Fry fritters 3 to 5 minutes, turning often to brown evenly. Cut open one fritter to be sure the batter is cooked inside. Roll hot fritters in sugar or serve plain. Makes about 12 fritters.

[Kitchen Witch]

Takoyaki (octopus balls)
Ingredients:

* 200g chopped boiled octopus
* cooking oil
* benishoga (pickled ginger) (to taste)
* chopped negi (or scallions) (to taste)
* tenkasu (or rice crispies) (to taste)

[Batter]:

* 450cc water
* 1 piece konbu (kelp), 10cm square
* 15g powdered katsuo-bushi (shaved dried bonito)
* 200g flour
* 2 eggs

[Sauce]:

* commercial takoyaki sauce
* or worcestershire sauce
* or bulldog sauce
* or mayonnaise (Best Foods or Hellman's)

Cooking time: 10-20 minutes

Servings: 50-60 pieces (4-5 persons)

Takoyaki ("octopus balls") are usually served at street stands, but they can also be made at home. However, it will help if you have a takoyaki grill, or a similar device with 3-centimeter-diameter cups.
[konbu illustration]
Directions - batter

1. Clean the konbu by wiping it lightly with a cloth.

2. Cut the konbu into 2-centimeter-wide partial strips against the grain, but don't cut all the way to the edge -- see illustration.

3. Add the water and konbu to a pot, and cook uncovered over a slow fire.

4. Just before the water starts to boil, remove the konbu from the pot. The liquid should be a light yellowish or greenish color.

5. Add shaved katsuobushi to the water as it starts to boil.

6. After the liquid has been boiling a minute or two, turn off the heat.

7. Quickly remove the shaved katsuobushi from the liquid with a filter or strainer or cloth. Try to remove the katsuobushi while it's still floating on the surface, before it has a chance to sink.

8. Allow the liquid to cool, then add the liquid, flour and eggs to a bowl and mix.
Directions - takoyaki

Make a small test batch of 4 or 5 takoyaki at first, to check the consistency of the batter. Add more flour or water as needed.

1. Oil the takoyaki pan.

2. Add pieces of chopped octopus to each cup.

3. Pour in the batter.

4. Add benishoga, negi and tenkasu to taste.

5. Cook the takoyaki pieces until they achieve the desired degree of firmness, turning them over frequently.

6. Remove from the pan and serve with sauce and/or mayonnaise.

[Kitchen Witch]

Tempura
Ingredients:
[Koromo (batter)]
Using cold water (about 40F) is a must. This keeps the batter from becoming sticky. When you add the flour, whisk quickly just to mix it in evenly. Sticky batter results in oily tempura.

* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 cup COLD water
* 2 tablespoons dry white wine
* 1 cup flour

Beat the egg and mix with water. Add flour and whisk quickly.
[Tentsuyu (tempura dip)]

* 1 tablespoon dashi no moto in 1 cup of water, boiled for two to three minutes
* 2 tablespoons mirin. You can replace this with 1 tablespoon sugar
* 2 tablespoons sake or dry white wine
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* ginger root to taste, freshly grated (optional)

After you boil the dashi, turn off the heat and add the rest of the ingredients.
[Vegetables & Fish]
(ingredients and preparation suggestions)

* Carrots, cut into thin sticks (i.e. 1 1/2 inches long)
* Onions, sliced
* Green pepper, cut into rings or any way you want
* Eggplant, thinly sliced
* Broccoli, prepared as for a for salad
* Green onions, (see mixed vegetable tempura -- kakiage)
* Zucchini, thinly sliced
* Mushrooms, halved, or whole if small
* Green beans, halved lengthwise, or whole
* Asparagus, bite-sized (deep-fry 3 or 4 sticks together)
* Butternut squash, bite-sized thin slices
* Okra, halved lengthwise
* Snow pea pods, whole
* Cod, bite-sized
* Shrimp, peeled, whole. Dip shrimp in the batter by holding the tail fin, and fry two or three at a time.
* Scallops, whole if small
* Crab, break shell and expose meat before dipping in batter
* Squid, sliced into rings or strips

Dredge fish in flour before dipping in batter.

Cooking time: 1 hour +

Servings: 4

A long time ago (about 400+ years back), when Japan was trading with Portuguese and Dutch merchants, tempura was introduced to the country as the style in which these merchants cooked vegetables and fish. Tempura was not popular among Japanese people until the late Edo era. A tempura street vendor started to serve tempura-fried fish caught fresh from Tokyo Bay, and it became popular with the common people. Sesame seed oil was mainly used in those days.

It seems very hard to learn the knack of tempura frying. With a little help, though, tempura deep frying can be so simple that you will want to show off to your friends. The main ingredients are vegetables and fish of your choosing. There are a few points that you have to remember: 1) slice the vegetables thin so they can be fried in a short time; 2) you will need a deep, thick-walled pan (a wok is OK) filled about 1 inch deep with peanut oil (try other types of oil if you like, but never add lard or shortening); 3) deep-fry in small batches so you can maintain the temperature of the oil; and finally 4) tempura-fry vegetables at 340F and fish at 360F.

Directions

Heat the oil to 340F or 360F. Dip the vegetables or fish in the batter and place them in the oil. If it is difficult to handle the vegetable chunks, you may use a tablespoon to drop them in. Do not fry too much at a time, in order to maintain the temperature. Take the tempura out of the oil just when the batter gets SLIGHTLY brown. Vegetables usually take less than two to three minutes. Remember: the thinner the vegetable, the faster it cooks. For fish, the time to pull it out is when the batter turns very slightly brown. It is good idea to do trial frying in the beginning. Taste it and decide how long it will have to be fried. Once you get the timing right, the rest is simple.

Serve with tentsuyu. Tempura is also served with rice. This is called ten-don. Put warm rice in a bowl or on a plate and place tempura on top of the rice. Pour on two or three tablespoons of tentsuyu.

Another popular way of serving tempura is over a bowl of noodles. This is called tempura-udon or tempura-soba, and it is traditional Japanese fast food.

There are many variations in tempura frying. You can mix two or three vegetables and fry them together. This is called kakiage style. So be creative and invent your own style.

[Kitchen Witch]

Yaki-udon (Japanese Seafood Noodle Stir-fry)
Ingredients:

* 400g / 14oz dried udon noodles
* 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
* 175g / 6oz squid, cleaned and sliced
* 450g / 1 lb large cooked prawns, shelled and deveined
* 4 spring onions, roughly chopped
* 225g / 8oz bean sprouts
* 15 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
* 4 teaspoons dried green seaweed, soaked in hot water and drained
* 4 tablespoons bonito flakes
* 4 tablespoons Japanese or light soy sauce
* salt and freshly ground black pepper

Stir-frying coaxes maximum flavour out of seafood ingredients and gives the noodles a smooth, slippery texture.
Directions

Bring water to the boil, add the noodles and cook for 7 to 15 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan until very hot and stir-fry the squid and prawns for 2 minutes. Add the spring onions, bean sprouts, mushrooms and seaweed and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add the noodles and remaining ingredients and seasonings, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Divide the noodles and seafood among four plates and serve.

[Kitchen Witch]

Deep-fried Yuba Rolls
Ingredients:

* 8 slices dried yuba, each about 8 inches (20cm) square
* 2 ounces (60g) nagaimo yam, peeled and finely diced
* 8 fresh shiitake or button mushroom caps, finely diced
* 1/2 ounce (15g) carrot, peeled and finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon salt
* dash white pepper
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
* vegetable oil, for deep-frying
* salt, for garnish

Makes 8

Yuba is the skin that forms on the surface of boiled soymilk. Sold dried into sheets, it is a high-protein ingredient with a variety of uses.
Directions

1. Wrap each slice of dried yuba in a wet cloth, and leave for about 30 minutes until soft

2. Place the yam, shiitake, and carrot in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cornstarch, and mix well.

3. Lay out the yuba slices, divide the vegetables into 8 equal portions and place each portion on top of a yuba slice. Fold the yuba over to make rectangular envelopes, and seal using the flour-and-water mixture. Preheat the oil to 340°F (170°C) and deep-fry the envelopes until golden brown.

4. Cut the yuba envelopes in half and arrange on a serving dish, garnished with salt.

[If yuba is not available, use rice-paper wrappers.]

[Kitchen Witch]

Honeyed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients:

* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 4 chicken breasts, boned
* 1 garlic clove, crushed
* 2 leeks, sliced
* 1 red pepper, cut into strips
* 50g / 2 oz baby corn cobs, halved lengthways
* 2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
* 4 tablespoons honey
* 250ml / 8 fl oz chicken stock
* 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
* 3 pieces bottled stem ginger, sliced
* 2 tablespoons syrup from bottled ginger
* 2 tablespoons garlic wine vinegar
* 2 tablespoons cornflour

Serves 4

This honey and ginger sauce has a wonderful taste and aroma, and complements the poultry perfectly. Try using turkey as a substitute for chicken for an equally delicious dish.
Directions

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan or wok until the butter has melted. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, turning. Add the garlic and leeks and cook for a further 3 minutes. Stir in the red pepper, baby corn, sugar, honey, stock, soy sauce, stem ginger, ginger syrup and vinegar.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked well through, about 20 minutes. Blend the cornflour with 4 tablespoons of cold water and stir into the pan. Bring to the boil and cook until the sauce is thickened and clear. Cook for a further 2 minutes and serve.

[Kitchen Witch]

Korean Cellophane Noodles with Vegetables (Chapchae)
Ingredients:

* 6 dried wood ear fungus, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
* 150g / 5oz young, fresh spinach leaves
* 2 Chinese leaves
* 3 fresh shiitake or oyster mushrooms, thinly sliced
* 4 spring onions, thickly sliced diagonally
* 1 small courgette, cut into fine strips
* 1 carrot, cut into fine strips
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon sesame oil
* 3 cloves garlic, crushed, finely chopped
* 2 small fresh red chillies, seeded and cut into fine strips
* 200g / 7oz bean thread noodles, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes and drained
* 1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
* 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
* salt

This is a colourful, vegetable-packed noodle dish with a multitude of different textures. Once the vegetables have been prepared, it is very quick to assemble and cook.
Directions

Drain the wood ear fungus, and cut out the stems. Thinly sliced.

Add the spinach to a pan of boiling water. Cover and boil for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Separate the leaves.

Discard the curly outer part of the Chinese leaves. Cut the V-shaped core of the leaves into fine strips. Combine the spinach, wood ear fungus and shiitake mushrooms, spring onions, courgettes, carrot and Chinese leaves.

Heat the oils in a deep skillet. Add the garlic and chillies, and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Add the mixed vegetables and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables are tender, but crisp. Turn the heat to low and stir in the noodles, soy sauce, sugar and salt. Cook for 2 minutes and serve immediately.

[Kitchen Witch]

Pork Spareribs
Ingredients:

* 675g / 1 1/2 lb pork spareribs, cut into 5cm/2in pieces
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
* 3 tablespoons honey
* 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
* 175ml / 6 fl oz passata
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 2 garlic cloves, crushed
* 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
* 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 75g / 3oz soft dark brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons lime juice

Serves 4

These delicious ribs are cooked in a wok with a spicy barbecue sauce.
Directions

Prepare the ribs and heat the oil in a wok. Add the ribs and cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and cook for a further 10 minutes. Place all the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar.

Pour the sauce into the wok with the ribs. Cover and cook until the ribs are cooked well through, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

[Southern Belle 2067]

Asian Oils and Sauces

Chili sauce:

Made from chilies, garlic and vinegar. Add a splash to stir-fry or use it as a spicy dipping sauce.

Peanut oil:

Adds a nutty flavor to dishes. Because it can get to a high temperature before it starts smoking. Peanut oil is terrific for frying foods.

Rice vinegar:

Mild and sweet. Don't confuse this with Chinese rice wine (also called Shaoxing wine) which is used for drinking and cooking.

Fish sauce:

Adds a salty pungent tang to a variety of dishes.

Hoisin sauce:

A sweet garlicky bean sauce used for dipping as well as marinating meat, poultry and fish.

Soy sauce:

An essential Asian ingredient. Put it in just about anything from stir-fry to dressings.

Oyster sauce:

A salty sweet condiment. Drizzle it on cooked vegetables or use as a marinade.

Toasted Sesame oil:

This is a strongly flavored, amber-to-dark brown oil is best combines with another oil for frying or drizzled on top of cooked foods.

Plumb sauce:

Also called duck sauce, this sweet and sour sauce is perfect dipper for egg or spring rolls.

[Kitchen Witch]

Korean Barbecue Beef


1 lb sirloin steak; boneless
1/4 c soy sauce
1 tb sesame oil
1/2 ts sesame seeds
1/2 ts crushed garlic
1/4 ts pepper
1 lg green onion; chopped
2 tb cooking wine
1 tb sugar
1 sesame oil; for frying


Slice beef into 1/8-inch thick strips. Mix soy sauce, 1 tablespoon
sesame oil, and next 5 ingredients in shallow glass bowl. Add beef.
Marinate in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. Stir-fry beef in
additional sesame oil in wok for 5 to 10 minutes or until beef is
brown.

[Kitchen Witch]

Khai Yat Sai (Thai Omelet)
Yield: 1 Servings


3 ea eggs
1/4 ts pepper
1/4 ts salt

----------------------------FILLING-----------------------------------
3 tb onion, minced
1 lg garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 c green peas
1 md tomato, in 1/2 dice
1/2 c ground pork
1 ts fish sauce (nam pla)
1 ts sugar
1 ts vinegar
1 1/2 tb catsup
1/4 c green onion (bulb and stem) -finely; minced

----------------------------FILLING-----------------------------------


In a pan heat oil, add onion and garlic, frying until
lightly browned. Add pork and fry for 5 minutes, add
peas, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients except the
green onion. Stir and cook for 10 minutes, adding a
few teaspoons of water if the mixture becomes too dry.
In a bowl beat the eggs well, add pepper and salt.
Prepare eggs in omlett fashion, and place above
filling on one side before folding egg over. Garnish
top with chopped onion, and serve Sirhicha hot sauce
on the side. (Khai yat sai)