Matcha, spring’s lushness

matcha_latte

After the Pineapple Express had drenched its way along the Pacific coast last week, my yellow and purple crocuses along with irises and snowdrops woke up to the intense sun in the balmy air of (almost) spring. To some extent, matcha has the same effect on me. The lush, bright green colour and its intrinsic greenish taste awaken all my senses. As I promised last week, I sorted through a few matcha influenced recipes as a counterpoint to the coffee features that I posted previously. I’m also introducing complimentary ingredients/ nibbles that will greatly enhance these matcha delights. On that note, it may be a good idea to purchase a packet of good quality matcha and a bamboo whisk for your kitchen this spring.

For those who are as mesmerized as I am by the beautiful pottery from the last four photos here, I’m happy to share that they are created by Janaki Larsen, a ceramic artist in Vancouver. I picked them up at Le Marché St. George, which she also co-owns. A great artistic café/ grocery containing specialty foods and other goodies!

matcha latte and toast with Azuki bean paste

Matcha Latte

Just for you

1 cup almond milk, soy milk, rice milk or cow’s milk

1 to 1 ¼ teaspoons matcha powder

Hot water

Sugar *optional

Pour hot water in a wide-mouth cup to keep warm. In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until small bubbles appear along the edge of the pan, for about 5 minutes. Do not boil!

Discard the hot water from the cup, and add the matcha powder. Add about 1 to 2 tablespoons hot water and whisk intensely until foamy, making sure there are no beads of powder left. Add the warmed milk and serve. Taste it first and adjust with sugar. I like it without sugar when I make the latte with cow’s whole milk, which renders enough sweetness so I can taste the lushness of the matcha flavours.

 

Sweet Azuki Bean Paste with Toast

As I grew up, I came to learn that my father’s all time favourite breakfast was buttered toast with smeared sweet Azuki bean paste. I wasn’t fond of the coarse texture of Azuki as a child; however, as my palate has matured, I have slowly grown into it and now it’s also my favourite thing to wake up to in the morning.

Makes about 2 cups

200g Azuki beans

160g sugar

½ teaspoon salt

You do not need to soak the Azuki beans prior to cooking. Rinse the beans and discard any deficient or diseased ones. Place the beans in a large pot with plenty of water and bring to a boil.

Drain the beans and discard the cooking water. Repeat this process one more time.

Next, place the beans in a pot with a plenty of water and bring to a boil, then continue to cook until the beans become soft, about 40 to 50 minutes. Add water as necessary to keep the beans covered.

Drain the beans and discard the cooking water. Add the sugar, salt and 1 cup water and cook over medium low heat until all the ingredients are well combined. For serving with toast, I cook for about 20 to 25 minutes until the paste becomes a thick mass. For serving as sauce, I cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, keeping it runny. Keep in mind that as the beans cool down, the sugar solidifies and the mixture becomes hard. So, don’t cook down too much if you intend to pour over the below chiffon cake.

Serve at room temperature. If you have extras, keep refrigerated up to 1 week. The paste also freezes well for about 1 month.

 

matcha powder

chasen

matcha_jelly

Matcha Jelly and Shiratama with Kuromitsu

Years ago, when I visited the Byodoin temple in Uji, Kyoto, I came across a 150 year old tea company where they also serve a variety of matcha products. I did not visit the area in the recent trip to Japan since the Byodoin was under construction, but I was able to purchase their famous matcha jelly at a souvenir kiosk in Kyoto station. Later I learned that they actually have a café in a department store right next to the station, so if you are near, it would be a nice place to take a break while waiting for a bullet train. All of their products seem wonderful but I particularly fell in love with their matcha jelly so I created this recipe according to my palate’s memory. Until you and I can get our hands on their version of jelly, this recipe may satisfy our desire.

Serves 2

300 ml freshly steeped green tea (from loose tea leaves)

1 g agar powder (I like the Japanese brand called Kanten Papa, sourced from a local Japanese grocery store)

2 ½ tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons matcha

4 tablespoons hot water

Place the matcha and 4 tablespoons of hot water in a wide-mouth cup, and whisk intensely with a bamboo whisk until foamy, making sure there are no beads left.

In a large bowl, strain the freshly steeped green tea (making sure it’s over 80C) and agar powder, and stir well to combine.

Add the sugar and matcha paste, and mix well. Transfer to a medium bowl and refrigerate until solidified.

Scoop into serving bowls, and serve cold with shiratama and kuromitsu (recipe follows).

 

Shiratama and Kuromitsu

(It literally means white balls and black syrup)

Shiratama is typically served in Azuki bean soup as a warm dessert dish, and with the Azuki bean paste and vanilla ice cream together as a cold confectionary. Here, I introduced a refreshing take on the original, served with the above jelly drizzled with kuromitsu.

Serves 2

100g shiratama-ko (glutinous rice flour, available at a Japanese grocery store)

90ml to 100ml lukewarm water

3 tablespoons Okinawa black sugar (or Muscovado sugar or dark brown sugar)

3 tablespoons water

Bring plenty of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.

Combine the shiratama-ko and water in a medium bowl until the texture of an earlobe is achieved. Tear and form into 2/3 inch balls.

Place the balls into the boiling water. When the balls start rising to the surface, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Dunk into ice water, let cool and drain well.

Make kuromitsu. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir consistently until the sugar is dissolved and becomes thick and syrupy in consistency.

Serve shiratama with the above matcha jelly and drizzle with kuromitsu.

 

matcha_salt

Prawn Tempura and Matcha Salt

I also included this savoury appetizer dish to help highlight matcha’s unique flavour. Instead of prawn, you can use fish, like halibut or cod, if you like.

Serves 4

1 lb prawns

1 egg

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup ice water

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

¼ teaspoon matcha

1 teaspoon coarse or fine sea salt

Prepare the prawns. Rinse them first and remove shells, leaving the tail on. Cut off the sharp tips of the tails with a knife and then pat dry.

Heat plenty of oil to 350F in a wok or deep-rimmed pan. If you don’t have a thermometer to check the temperature, the rule of thumb is that the oil is ready when a dropped piece of batter should quickly sink mid way into the oil and then quickly come back to the surface and float.

Combine the egg, flour and ice water very lightly in a large bowl (a few strokes with a pair of chopsticks is good enough, and it’s okay that you can still see powdery flour). Do not stir too much as you will create a glutinous, and thus heavy, batter.

Quickly dip the prawns in the batter, remove excess and deep-fry them in the prepared oil until golden.

Rest the prawns on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve with combined matcha and salt.

 

matcha chiffon cake

Matcha Chiffon Cake

Use 9 ¼ inch diameter x 4 inch high Angel food cake pan

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

1 ½ cups granulated sugar, divided

2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

½ cup grape seed oil

7 large egg yolks

9 large egg whites

2/3 cup whole milk

4 tablespoons matcha

4 tablespoons hot water

Toppings

1 ½ cups Azuki bean sauce (see Sweet Azuki Bean Paste)

1 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat the oven to 325F. Whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk the matcha and hot water intensely in a small bowl with a bamboo whisk until it becomes paste-like, making sure there are no beads left.

Whisk together oil, egg yolks, and milk in a large bowl. Add the matcha paste into the egg yolk mixture and stir to combine. Whisk flour mixture into egg yolk mixture.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form on high speed. Add the remaining ¾ cup sugar in 3 installments. Continue to beat until a stiff glossy peak forms. *If you have a problem, such as that your egg whites won’t solidify, try to cool the bowl by placing ice packs around it.

Whisk 1/3 of the egg white mixture gently into the batter, and then fold in the rest of the egg white mixture with a rubber spatula.

Transfer the batter into a cake pan. Bake until the top of the cake springs back when touched, for about 55 to 57 minutes. Let cool upside down for about 1½ hours.

Release the cake by running a knife around the edge of the tube and the side of the pan. Transfer to a cake stand or a large flat plate.

Beat the whipping cream with sugar to a desired consistency.

Slice into individual portions, and serve with a dollop of whipping cream. Spoon the Azuki bean sauce over top.

Adapted from MarthaStewart.com

 

bowl by Janaki Larsen

Coriander and Chipotle Drumettes plus Some Nibbles

Coriander and Chipotle drumettes

Hi all. Before I post Japan trip Vol. 2 Tokyo, I wanted to introduce you to these yummy recipes I cooked up in my kitchen. I got inspiration when I enjoyed the generously salty and crispy chicken wings at a nice little place called Pivo near Chinatown in Vancouver. I used drumettes instead of wings and home grown coriander seeds for the rub to give it personality. This is a recipe where I can showcase the whole circle of life of my cilantro plants! If you grow cilantro, make sure to harvest seeds in autumn and leave some on the plant, as later they fall, sprout and grow again, providing you with a key ingredient for winter finger foods. What is your favourite finger food?

Coriander seed

On that note, I’m not so much of a hockey, soccer, football or curling fan, but enjoy serving ultimate nibbles for those who get so excited watching the games that they hop up and down on the couch! I got carried away with these drumettes, and wanted to find out what might go with them in our household. It turns out that aged cheddar crackers and bean dip fit the bill perfectly, so here they are. Try these for your next gathering, whatever sport you fancy!

Coriander and Chipotle drumettes

Coriander and Chipotle drumettes

Coriander and Chipotle drumettes

Great Northern bean and rosemary dipGreat Northern bean and rosemary dip

Aged cheddar crackers

Coriander and Chipotle Drumettes –The Ultimate Finger Food-

For this recipe, you need whole coriander seeds that are ground with a coffee grinder or blender for the best texture.

Serves 4

20 drumettes

1 teaspoon freshly ground ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Dash of roasted sesame oil

For the rub

4 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground chipotle

2 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds

1 lime, wedged

Fresh cilantro leaves

Rinse the drumettes under cold water and pat dry. Combine the ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl. In a rimmed large tray, lay the drumettes and pour over the soy mixture. Coat well all around, cover and marinate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425C. Lay the drumettes on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the rub. Grind the coriander seeds in a coffee grinder or blender, leaving some coarse texture, and combine with the rest of the rub ingredients in a large bowl.

Take the baking sheet with the drumettes out of the oven. Using a pair of tongs, dunk each drumette in the bowl of rub and coat all around. Remove excess rub and place it back on the rack. Repeat for the rest of drumettes.

Bake another 20 minutes or until done. If drumettes become too dark, cover them with a piece of foil.

Serve hot with wedges of lime and sprinkle cilantro leaves on top.

 

Aged Cheddar Crackers with Two Flavours

Makes 2 x 500ml jars

½ cup unbleached all purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling

2 tablespoons butter

1 heaped cup aged cheddar cheese, grated

2 eggs

1 tablespoon Aonori (type of Japanese seaweed), plus extra for sprinkling

1 tablespoon poppy seeds, plus extra for sprinkling

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using your fingers, incorporate the mixture until flaky. Add the cheese and eggs, and incorporate with the flour mixture. Divide in two. Add Aonori to one half and poppy seeds to the other. Form each piece of dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate for half an hour or until the dough is firm.

Preheat the oven to 375C. Flour the work surface and roll the dough into 1/16 inch thickness or as thin as you can. The thinner the crispier. Scatter the extra salt and Aonori (or poppy seeds) over the top and lightly press them into the dough with the rolling pin. Cut into diamond shapes or use your choice of cookie cutters. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely. Serve as is or with dip.

Adapted from Deborah Madison’s seed cracker recipe

 

Great Northern Bean and Rosemary Dip

Makes 1 x 350ml jar

1 cup Great Northern beans

1 onion, peeled

3 garlic cloves

Juice of ½ lemon

3 tablespoons tahini

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Soak the beans in cold water and leave overnight at room temperature. Rinse the beans next day and cover with cold water in a large pot. Do not add salt at this point.

Bring to a boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Skim occasionally. Add the whole onion and 2 garlic cloves. Continue simmering until the beans are tender, for about 1 hour. Add hot water as necessary to keep the beans well covered during cooking.

Drain the beans, RESERVING some liquid, and discard the onion and garlic. Combine the beans, 1 garlic clove, lemon juice, tahini, 3 tablespoons reserved liquid and rosemary in a food processor. Add the olive oil in a slow and steady drip while pulsing the bean mixture until smooth. Adjust the flavour with salt and pepper and add more liquid if you prefer a looser texture. Transfer to a serving container and cover the surface with some olive oil to prevent it from drying.

Serve with crackers, slices of baguette or toasted pita bread. Refrigerate any leftover for up to a few days.

Aged cheddar crackers

Goboroot Turns 1 Year Old!

deep fried gobo

It’s kind of late for “Happy New Year” but I wish all of you fantastic readers out there a great year with lots of love, peace, great health and of course, good food!

Since we came back from our trip to Japan almost a week ago, things have finally started to settle down. Although I’m still lingering over the vibrant memories that we created with our friends and family during the trip, I am refreshed and very much looking forward to another exciting year to come.

I meant to upload some photos during the trip in Japan, but then there was so much happening in the city, so many materials to see and so much scenery to observe. So I decided to live in the moment, completely abandoning the idea of posting news, totally cutting myself off from emails and online activities and soaking up the culture that I had truly missed. This act really helped me a great deal to feel rejuvenated and renewed. No computers, no Internet. I even enjoyed using pay phones everywhere we went; however, it was very hard to spot them! I appreciated the simple things in such a technologically advanced country.

As I was wondering what I would post for goboroot’s 1-year anniversary, I  received an email in the nick of time from one of my readers asking if I had a recipe for gobo “French fries” in my archives. He was on a business trip to Japan last week and seemed to have enjoyed lots of gobo in many different dishes. What better way to celebrate the website’s anniversary than to share this delicious recipe! I quickly went into my kitchen and used the last batch of gobos I had saved from last year, turning them into these mouthwatering snacks. Oh, it was a worthy usage of my precious gobos!

sweet & salty gobo

So thank you for the great inspiration, Mike. Comments like this from readers have always kept me inspired to update my blog and have encouraged me to pursue my journey. So a big THANK YOU to everyone who supported me along the way!

I will post some photos from the Japan trip with some news very soon. So stay tuned!

horizon

Deep Fried Gobo

Serves 4

1 lb gobo, preferably organic

Sea salt

All purpose flour

Cornstarch

Vegetable oil

Wash gobo root thoroughly to remove the dirt. Using the back of a knife, remove coarse hair and skin. You can leave some skin on, as it is said by Japanese culinary experts that the skin contains more nutrients.

Cut into ¼ to ½ inch strips and soak in cold water for 10 minutes. Continue to change water until it becomes clean.

Fill a large pot with water and cook the gobo on high heat until tender (but it should still have a bite to it), for about 10 minutes. Drain well and pat dry.

Heat the vegetable oil in a deep frying pan to 180C. Combine the salt, flour and starch in a large bowl. Add the gobo, coat well with flour mixture and then remove excess flour.

Deep fry until the gobo turns a golden colour. Sprinkle salt over top if you like. Serve hot.

 

Caramelized Sweet and Salty Gobo

If you have any leftovers, try this recipe, as we frequently devoured them with a big bowl of rice for breakfast while in Japan. Thanks to my auntie, who enthusiastically introduced this dish to us along with mentaiko (spicy raw Pollock eggs) and nori in the morning.

Leftover deep fried gobos

1 tablespoon brown sugar (I used Okinawa black sugar and loved the rich flavour)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Roasted white sesame seeds

In a medium pan, heat the sugar and soy sauce over medium heat until bubbling. Add the gobos and stir continuously to mix until the texture of the sauce is sticky. Sprinkle sesame seeds over top. Serve hot or at room temperature with some rice.