Job Discussion Forums

[J.]

You seem to be quite the cook, 6810! It's interesting how you've come up with some creative solutions for "un"-pizza. I like the idea of the rice balls and I already use organic gen-mai as my everyday rice, so that should just add to the body. I'll try it over the holidays. The main problem I have, really, is that all these things just take so much preparation, so I really save them for holiday or Sunday cooking, BUT, it's nice to know on those days I can have a treat. And I suppose I could try making something and freezing it for lunches; they are the most excruciating to organize.

Yes, I do like "traditional" tomato sauce on my pizza. It might be because I can make a fantastic one, but I'm not adverse to a little experimentation. Actually, it's a necessity here anyway, if you want anything resembling Western-style food. I guess it's because when I feel like pizza, it's because it's a kind of comfort food, and it's no good to mess too much with comfort food, is it? My favourite (comfort) pizza is all homemade with a homemade garlic-tomato herb sauce, thin sliced carmelized onions, fresh tomatoes, a few sweet peppers, sprinkled with salt and pepper,a good extra virgin olive oil, basil and oregano and of course, soy cheese. It's still okay without the cheese, though, and it's good in that case if you add some steamed broccoli florettes, grated carrots and mushroom slices.

But I like your spirit in coming up with so much creative stuff, and I'll certainly honour your efforts by trying them over the break. Here's a toast to you and all good cooks. "Sante!"

[6810]

Thanks for the reply. I know what you mean about comfort food.

I guess I've been away from my Australian home and in my Japanese home for so long that what I consider "comfort food" has shifted significantly!

My own comfort food regularly features Japanese ingredients these days. I love coming home to okonomiyaki or yakisoba as much as I do cheese toast or pancakes on saturday night!

A large part of why I experiment is to incorporate as many nutritious ingredients (sorry to keep going on about it...) like miso into my regular diet. This means thinking more laterally about food.

There's a thread here elsewhere about Japanese crimes against food. Once I shared similar opinions, but one of the things I like in Japan is the willingness of chefs to go beyond the traditional limitations of the foreign food they are making.

Sometimes, Japanese versions of things like pizza are actually more authentic in spirit and attitude than their western counterparts. Some things the Japanese make aren't appealing to someone not used to it, but for me, a vego, basically anything with animal flesh layered on top grosses me out! Save for dead animals, I don't care what you put on my pizza (I think your recipe sounds delicious and I could easily imagine some sauted tempeh on there!), my rice bread etc...

With this attitude as a kid, my mother was overjoyed. My sister on the other hand...

[J.]

Perhaps it's time to confess that I raised my family on Frances Moore Lappe's Diet for a Small Planet series. And I baked all our bread, made homemade everything, taught myself cake and pastry making and then worked for 5 years in a small Italian deli where we made fresh pasta and sauces every day. It was my job to invent new recipes. I have a deep and abiding interest in food, recipes, food culture and I deeply appreciate Japanese food. And don't think you would ever bore me by dwelling on any aspect of cooking, even if it is miso.

I'm happy to see you experimenting and trying new things and it's great to be talking about food with you. I love okonomiyaki and yakisoba too, when I can get the 100 percent soba noodles. (I can't use the regular ones).

In case you want to try the Italian tomato sauce, I'll post the recipe here. Also, if you eat cheese, I'd recommend trying feta, and sprinkling on fennel seeds.

Sauce Pizzaiola ( From the Time-Life "Foods of the World" Series, now out of print)

To make about 3 cups

3Tb. olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
1Tb finely chopped garlic
4 cups Italian plum or whole-pack tomatoes, coarsely chopped but not drained
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1Tb dried oregano, crumbled
1Tb finely cut fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil, crumbled
1 bay leaf
2 tsp sugar
1Tb salt
freshly ground black pepper

In a 3 to 4 quart enameled or stainless steel pot, heat the 3 Tb of olive oil and cook the finely chopped onions in it over moderate heat, stirring frequently, for 7 or 8 minutes. When the onions are soft and transparent but are not brown, add the tablespoon of finely chopped garlic and cook for another 1 or 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Then stir in the coarsely chopped tomatoes and their liquid, the tomato paste, oregano, basil, bay leaf, sugar, salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, turn the heat very low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about an hour. ( I find about 30 minutes is fine.)

When finished, the sauce should be thick and fairly smooth. Remove the bay leaf. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you want a smoother texture, you could sieve it or put it through the food processor.

This sauce may be served with spaghetti, ravioli, and other pastas.

My note: If you use fresh tomatoes in season, it's even better. Chunk them and put them through the food processor before putting in the recipe. Enjoy!

[6810]

I love fresh tomatoes. That sounds like a good recipe.

BTW do you eat gnocchi? If so, how do you make it (since you don't do wheat)?

Tried tempeh yet?

[J.]

Tried tempeh last night, fried in a little sesame oil and salt and pepper. Didn't like the fermented flavour too much, but it was a bit bready tasting when cooked. I have the feeling I will have to play around with cooking methods until I find something I enjoy, which I will do because I bought three packages on your recommendation.

I haven't eaten gnocchi since I realized the gluten/wheat allergy last year, but it might be easy enough to make them with potatoes and rice flour and they should be good, too. Right now, I still have half a package of my favourite Tinkyada rice pasta from Canada. It's great, almost identical to regular pasta, but also can't get it here so it's a big treat.

Considering there are so many foods you can't get here, let me know if you ever want to start a buying co-op. I'd be interested.

[6810]

I can see rice flour gnocchi working.

Does your allergy prohibit corn too? Cos corn meal often substitutes in my kitchen, or is used to to create more grain vareity in wheat dishes.

As for tempeh, like most fermented foods it's an acquired taste. Some suggestions:

1. Deep fry it. Deep fried tempeh is wonderful.
2. Before deep frying it, dip it in some flavoured water or stock, let it dry, then fry.
3. Cut it fairly thin, leave it to dry outside on a nice dry day (or two) then try number 2 above again.
4. Deep fry and serve with your fav veges sweet and sour style. Or with Indonesian soy sauce (you know, the sweet stuff), chinese greens, broccoli, sesame seeds and cashews.
5. Batter or crumb it according to your dietary restrictions and eat it like tonkatsu!
6. Get some of the really fresh tempeh. There is stuff in my local supermarket which is made from top quality hokkaido daizu and is only very loosely bound together. It's kind of fragile, but really delicious fried with just salt and pepper. It's made from whole BIG beans! Very tasty and because it's fresh, the mycelium (mold) is still fresh, which means you can use it to start your own batch!

As for a co op? Only thing I really want or need in big quantities at a fair price are beans and olives. The former I have solved through indian supermarkets. The latter... still unsolved.

[J.]

Hi, sorry to be so long in replying. Thanks for the additional suggestions for tempeh. I have to confess I haven't tried them yet, but I will. I happened to see an herb guru on Martha Stewart the day after I last posted who also recommended marinating the tempeh in stock for at least a few hours and then cooking it in a stir fry with soy sauce and vegetables. Looked good. I will also see if I can find the fresh stuff; it sounds better.

Over the vacation I had a craving for Indian food and I just seem to keep cooking it, maybe because it's so cold in my house and curry warms you up. Also I had been eating chicken and fish and I decided to go completely vegetarian, so I've been stocking up on lentils, beans and chick peas etc. And rereading my vegetarian cookbooks. Do you like Indian food? if so, I have a few good recipes I could post.

Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions! :)

[6810]

I love Indian food. In fact, I just made masala dosai last week. And it even worked!

I regularly cook Indian food and even bought a curry leaf tree recently. I've been taking good care of it since they don't like the winter and there is only about 10 sold in Japan every year. Here's hoping it survives!

Post any recipe you want - but be warned - I have an extensive collection of Veg Indian cookbooks (I'm also making ghee today, the mother in law dropped a mother load of butter on us the other day... )...

[J.]

A curry leaf tree????? Where in the world did you get it? I would loooove one. I grow a lot of other herbs, but this time of year outdoors mostly the parsley(in pots), rosemary, and mints are healthy. Can't wait for basil season; it's one of my favourites. :)

Nice to hear you cook Indian food. Maybe we can trade some recipes. Most of the cookbooks I have are not specifically vegetarian but I have been adapting recipes. Of course dals are fine and combined with rice are high protein. The other day I made a chicken curry by substituting firm tofu. It was fine.

You're lucky with the ghee and wheat flour; whole wheat chapatis used to be one of my favourites. They are easy to make on the gas stove too.

Do you use Indojin.com to get stuff? Maybe you are lucky to be close to "real" stores? I just started using asfoetida (hing) and really like it. I'll post some recipes soon.

[6810]

In addition to Indojin.com I also use ambikajapan.com.

I bought my curry leaf tree through Rakuten http://www.rakuten.co.jp/e-tisanes/581998/578187/616862/#615275

But as you'll notice - they're already sold out. Be persistent though, they do turn up.

In Nagoya (Kanayama) there is a small Indian grocer.

Hing in Japan seems hard to get and expensive. My bro lives on a Hare Krishna farm so sent me an industrial sized bucket of the stuff!

CHapatis and naan are out, but there is always ottopam and dosai!

[red dog]

Tengu carries a spinach pizza with fake cheese on it, as well as one with artichokes and stuff but no cheese or cheese substitute. I haven't tried the spinach one (the artichoke pizza is so good), but it may be worth checking out. They also have a book for foreign vegetarians in Japan that I really, really wish I'd read before.

[6810]

Tengu being a Company? Restaurant?

Sounds cool. Any more info?

[sallycat]

tengu being a mail-order company that delivers anywhere in japan.

[6810]

Groovy, got a link?

[J.]

The same place I was originally complaining about for 86ing the soy cheese.

http://www.alishan-organic-center.com/

There's another called Wabare mura that you might want to check out.

http://www.warabe.co.jp/