Sunday, July 2, 2017

A Gift For My Mother / Miso Salmon Yaki


Song:  The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Movie Theme:  Ennio Morricone


First of all...
I had gotten this recipe from this Japanese American woman's recipe blog.
She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area...where I had spent my youth growing up
(I had begun to run out of recipes for salmon).

If you are interested in cooking Japanese food:


This link will take you directly to this particular recipe...
and you may then navigate her blog as you choose.

Each recipe is set up with a print button where just that particular recipe will print.
She has done a great job with her blog.


Again...
you may buy great salmon fillets in 2 lb. bags from any Super Walmart for under $15.00.

I recommend you buy ten or more bags at a time if you have a deep freeze.


As each fillet is approximately 1/4 lb...
I decided to make four of them.


With the salmon still in the individually vacuum sealed bags...
place them in a hot bath to defrost.

Even from a deep freeze...
it will only take 10 or so minutes.


I had used these ingredients
(again...you may get the actual recipe at the top of the article...click on the link).




I don't remember if I had mentioned this before.
With all appliances which aren't properly vented...
you must make sure they stay clear from the kitchen cabinets.

They will soon discolor and warp if you do not.



After defrosting the salmon fillets...
I then marinated them in the fridge for 1 hour.


In the meantime...
I had made our pre-supper salads.

I added much of what we had left over from the previous night's flame grilled veggies...
to our basic salad material.

This night's salad was especially large and delicious.




As you can see...
these Vietnamese Pho bowls have depth...
as well as great width.

Everyone should always start their meals with a very large salad.


This was my salad.
Dressings should accent the natural taste of the fresh veggies...
not drown them in it.



After our salad...
my mother opened up a package my elder sister had sent her.

My sister had sewn a warm hoodie for my mother to relax in when the temperatures
once again drop here in Reno.

The material is made from a micro fibre similar to Polartech.


It fit my mother perfectly.

You will notice the time.

We often eat late at night...
however, this is not in contradiction to my preaching not to eat from 6 to 10 hours 
before bedtime.

Both, my mother, and I, do not go to sleep until sometime after sunrise.

So, for us...
our supper is not eaten 6 - 10 hours before our bedtime.




After one hour had elapsed...


I placed the salmon fillets on a foiled cooking sheet.


I then placed the sheet in the oven with the broiler set to high...
for 10 minutes.


This was my mother's plate.


She had tried it...


and she said that she loved it.



We both also had miso soup.


My mother then told me to look at her plate.

After she had taken a bite from one of the umeboshi...
she noticed that it looked like a girl's head...complete with hair.

Cool...or...creepy...
depending on how you look at it.

(My mother had just...technically...
bitten off her head  :) 






Saturday, July 1, 2017

Flame Grilled Veggies / Shrimp / Scallops


Song:  Serenata Immortale

Group:  Immediate Music


Flame Grilling should be but an occasional method of cooking.
It will keep it special...and special it is.

Although it takes longer to do...
when done correctly...
it so enhances the natural flavors...
you will wish to do it again.


For this night's supper...
I had chosen to flame grill a variety of veggies...
and some scallops and shrimp.


As I keep all of the sea food in my mother's deep freeze...


...it needs a little longer to defrost them.

I just place them in a mixing bowl and soak them in a bath of hot water.


As I was doing this...
I had my mother slice the bell peppers and the onion.

The mushrooms were already sliced.


I then started flame grilling the mushrooms.


With the mushrooms...
I only slightly charred them.


I had my mother give me the peppers after they were sliced...by color.







The objective with the vegetables is to only char the outside slightly.
You do not want to cook them on the inside.

In order to do this...
I placed the flame on high until the outside of them charred.

The inside should still be raw.

This brings out the natural scent and taste of the vegetables like no other method.


I then flame grilled the shrimp and scallops using a medium flame until they were 
almost completely cooked.

I then placed the flame on high to char them on the outside.


I just wanted to demonstrate that the handles remain cool...
even after an hour's worth of flame grilling.





You need only remove the foil and throw it away...
and clean up is dramatically lessened.


We had quite the feast.

Any uneaten veggies will be put into our salads over the next couple of days.


For this sea food...
I hadn't used any sauce.

I love the charred taste and the natural flavors flame grilling brings out in the food.


Again...
the whole aim of flame grilling is to bring out the natural scents and flavors of the food.


Whole corn is another great vegetable to flame grill.


You will want to flame grill any vegetables first.
They still taste good when cool.

The meats should be served hot.








Flame Grilled Salmon


Song:  Dreamway

Group:  Immediate Music


Flame Grilling...
although usually more time consuming...
brings out flavor of the meat or vegetables.

It is a seldom used cooking method...
but when used...
the effect on the natural flavors is fantastic.

Since we eat a lot of salmon...
I try different ways of cooking it to stave off boredom of taste.


Before grilling over an open range flame...
it is best to take but a few moments of your time...
to save you lots of time later on.

Just take a sheet of foil...
and cover one of the burners.

Then...
simply run a fingernail along the under edge of the burner to cut out a cover from the foil.



Crimp the cover to catch any liquids and place it on the top of the burner cap.



Replace the burner grill...
and you are all set.



You need not hold the food grill.
Just place it on the burner grill...
and adjust the heat to the desired level.

I initially fire grill on medium high until the food is almost fully cooked.


I will then place the fire on high to slightly char the surface.

This salmon steak took but a few minutes to cook.


This is my mother's plate.

My mother loves flame grilled salmon...
as well as the various vegetables.

We finished up the shishito and the kabocha along with the flame grilled salmon.


I love putting on Tonkatsu sauce on my salmon.


This is the brand we like.


In my next article...
I had flamed grilled various colored peppers, onions, mushrooms...
and shrimp and scallops.