Soy Concentrate

This sauce is delicious drizzled over fish. Also is good used as a glaze (be careful not to burn it).
Soy Concentrate

(adopted from Washoku Cookbook by Elizabeth Andoh, this post copied from Helen Rennie's blog, beyond salmon.com)

20 square inches kombu (5 g)
1/2 cup dry shiitake mushrooms (8 g)
1 1/3 cup soy sauce (10 oz)
2/3 cup sake (buy the real stuff, don’t use “sake for cooking”)
1/4 cup mirin
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup, plus 2 tsp sugar
1 cup lightly packed katsuo-bushi (or 10 large slices of thick bonito shavings, atsu kezuri)

1. In a small saucepan, combine everything together except for katsuo-bushi (unless you are using atsu kezuri, in which case, add it right in).  Let sit for 1 to 12 hours at room temperature.  
2. Bring to a boil on the stove top and regulate heat so that the mixture bubbles, but doesn’t bubble out of the pot (watch out, this sauce gets foamy, so don’t leave it unattended).  Simmer until syrupy and reduced to your liking.*  Take off heat.
3. If using katsuo-bushi, stir them into the sauce and let sit for 3 minutes.
4. Dampen a paper towel in water and line a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl.  Strain the sauce through this set up forcing it through with the back of a ladle.  
5. Cool until barely warm and move to a jar or squeeze bottle.  When the sauce cools completely, cover tightly and store in the fridge.  This sauce doesn’t spoil, but is best if used within 3 months.

*Judging doneness with this sauce is tricky.  Luckily, it will still be good whether you make it thicker or thinner.  After you make it a few times, you’ll develop your own preference for how thick and syrupy you like it.  I like mine very thick (after refrigeration, I want it to feel like molasses) and this recipe only yields about 2/3 cup sauce for me.  You might like yours thinner.  The thicker you like it, the harder it is to push the sauce through the paper towel, so you might want to reduce it only in half, add katsuo-bushi, strain, then return the sauce to a clean saucepan and continue to reduce it.  Keep in mind that the sauce becomes a lot thicker as it cools.  To help you make a guess about its texture as it cooks, put a few drops on a cold plate and wait a few minutes.  Touch the drops with your finger to see how they feel.  You are aiming for the consistency of maple syrup.  

Blue Cheese Dressing

Wow! It's been a while since I've blogged here.. Anyhow, had to add this gem to the archives. 

Since it's summer, instead of dried chives and dill I used fresh. I also determined my own amounts and used milk instead of buttermilk with added lemon juice. 

1 Pint Sour Cream
1 Pint Mayo
1 Pint Buttermilk
1 cup crumbled blue cheese - I used stilton which crumbled easier after a time in the freezer when everything else was prepped
Juice of 1 small lemon - about a 1/4 cup
1 T. Onion Powder
1 t. Garlic Powder
1 t. Fish Sauce - the secret ingredient!
1 T. Dried Chive
1 t. Dried Dill Leaf
1 t. Salt (I used black truffle salt)
1 T. Ground Black Pepper or more, lots more!

Whisk together in a bowl - best if made the day ahead. I've had it last a week in the fridge, but it usually disappears before then and I usually make a double batch.

Cook up some thick pepper bacon and sprinkle crumbles of that on the wedge salad along with a half dozen croûtons.

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

1-2 cups thin slices of ham

1 stalk celery, finely chopped 

1 small or 1/2 large onion, finely chopped 

1 cup chopped mushrooms 

1 chopped garlic clove

1 cup chicken or beef or vegetable stock

3/4 Tb thyme

2 bay leaves

1 cup cream

2 large russet potatoes 

1 1/2 cups favorite cheese (smoked Gouda) 

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a covered pot (dutch oven or large sauce pot) melt 1 Tb butter and 1 Tb olive oil. 

Saute 1 stalk of fine chopped celery, half a fine chopped onion and 1 cup of chopped mushrooms until softened. Toss in a chopped clove of garlic and cook another 30 seconds-minute.
Add 1 cup of beef stock (or chicken), 3/4 Tb dried thyme (or 1 Tb fresh), 2 bay leaves and 1 cup of cream. Season with pepper. You probably don’t need salt since the ham can be salty. 
As you bring to a simmer, peel and slice 1/8" thick russet potatoes (2 large). I use a mandolin.
Add to the pot, bring to a simmer over medium, turn to low and simmer for ten minutes. Remove the bay leaves.

Slice up your ham (1-2 cups or so) into thin slices to layer with the potatoes.
Shred up some yummy cheeses. Or use pre shredded, whichever you prefer. I went for a mix of cheddar and fontina this time. 1-1 1/2 cups to add as topping.

Butter a 8x8" baking dish of 1 1/2 quart casserole. When the potatoes are ready, using a slotted spoon, layer your casserole dish: potatoes, ham, potatoes, ham, potatoes, liquid, cheese.

Bake for 1 hour until the cheese browns on top and the edges are bubbling.

Let sit for 10 minutes to cool.

Enjoy!

Roasted Beef Bones

It is pretty simple- buy inexpensive ($3 for a pack) beef bones, toss in olive oil, salt & pepper and roast at 400º for 45 minutes. You will know when they're done because they will brown up and smell heavenly! Serve like butter atop your favorite bread. Toasted Trader Joe's Tuscan Pane is perfect.  

This is an indulgence... Surely the fat will line your arteries.

Some fat is good, just make sure to follow up with some blood pumping exercise! 

Rouge Valley Royal Riviera Pear Salad

Received a lovely box of beautiful pears for Christmas! Made a delicious salad to complement our dinner. Omitted the champagne vinegar, walnut oil and blue cheese. Still, it was good.

For the dressing:

1/4 cup Champagne Vinegar (used TJ's white balsamic which is fine)
1 Tb Dijon
1 Tb honey
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
3/4 cup walnut oil (used canola- a little heavier but innocuous)

Blend using whatever method you prefer. I like a detachable whisk and whir it up real quick in a pint or measuring glass then cover with Press 'n' Seal wrap.  You could put it in a jar, shake and save for later. It will need shaking again.

For the salad:

1 head of butter or other lettuce, washed and dried (a bag of mixed greens heavy on spinach is good)
2 Ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced thin. (I left the peels on)
2/3 cup blue cheese (omit unless you are really hungry or this salad is not part of a large meal)
2/3 cup candied nuts or toasted walnuts (Trader Joe's sells 5 oz. packages of "Very Crunchy, Lightly Sweetened" candied pecans)

Arrange salad on plates or compose in a large bowl.
Offer guests to apply their own dressing or just toss it in the bowl.
Place fans of pear slices on lettuce. Crumble blue cheese evenly on top.
Drizzle the dressing generously over the salad. Sprinkle with nuts and serve at once.

Sorry no pics for this one- but you get the idea. It was Christmas rush! The dressing a versatile for any salad. Try using goat cheese crumbles/adding lemon zest to brighten it up. Dried cranberries or fresh strawberries would be good, too!

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Stock from Leftover Carcass

Now that I am working full-time, my cooking has become convenience-based.
We all go through phases of inspiration and well, phases of survival mode.

The other day I was going to roast my own chicken but they were around $10 each. Rotisserie chickens were half the price and already cooked! No brainer.

Here, I am using the carcass to make stock in the slow cooker. I am doing this overnight. Hopefully it won't be too much of a pain to deal with in the morning!
In the morning I will strain the broth and refrigerate it. After work I will bag it for the freezer.
Hopefully the flavor is great! My guess is that it will be even better since it will simmer for hours in the crock pot :)   

Ingredients

---

• 1 chicken carcass
• 2 carrots
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 medium onion
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme and a (optional) generous pinch of sage
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns

---

• Break the chicken bones so marrow can add flavor. I used boning shears but a heavy, sharp knife will also work.
• Turn a large crockpot on high and set the timer for 10 hours. 
• Put all the chicken parts in the crockpot. Save the meat for another use. (Chicken pot pie?)
• With the carcass in it, fill the crockpot 3/4 full with water.
• Chop (no need to peel) the carrots into large chunks. I happened to use organic baby carrots so no chopping required.
• Roughly chop the celery and the onion and add to the large crockpot.
• Cover, leave on high for 2 hours, then to low for 8 hours. If you are going to sleep the cooker should automatically go into the "keep warm" mode after it's done, which keeps the temperature at safe levels.
• Carefully pour the liquid gold through a sieve set over a stock pot, pressing on the parts. Cover and refrigerate the liquid gold, discard the solids.  
• Chill the stock in the fridge and later skim off the top layer of fat.
• Put the stock in baggies, label with date and amount (I like 1 and 2 cups), then freeze.

Dim Sum Dip

This is a great dip!
Use for things like scallion pancakes, crab rangoons, gyozas, etc. It is drinkably good!
Go easy on the sesame oil since the flavor is strong; adjust to your liking.

The first 4 ingredients are staple pantry items.
I also keep pickled ginger which can be finely grated/chopped in a pinch.
I go out to the garden for the green onions/chives (they are easy to grow and are useable even in winter).

• 2 tablespoons sriracha (red rooster)
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon fine grated ginger
• 1 green onion (scallion or chives), finely chopped