Foodjianese |
Food is not my life but it makes me feel alive. I was born in Fujian, in southeast China, and somehow got dragged onto a plane to New York at the turn of my teenage years. (Thanks mom!) I inhaled 3 plates of roast pork and cabbage on rice after sneaking my way out of summer tutoring school (I'm Asian) during lunchtime to gorge on Indian Mee Goreng and Indian pancakes when I was in junior high, so there is no doubt that I LOVE to eat. Cooking, on the other hand, is a recent obsession. I generally do not rely on recipes except for baking because I feel constrained by the scientific preciseness of most recipes. I like to improvise. The lingering taste of a sweet and spicy lamb tagine from a recent restaurant meal prompts me to turn on my stove. The smell of sweet cardamom and rose water gracefully peeking their way out of an Indian bakery seduces me to invite them to my kitchen. Ok, enough about me, let's cook, eat, and share, which is what food is all about. |
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Dear Kabocha, I <3 You
Five Spice Braised Beef and Kabocha, Gnocchi in Chestnut Butter Sauce, and Sauteed Shimeji Mushrooms.
I love all things squash. Squash in general is such a versatile and complimentary ingredient. Its mild flavor and malleable texture make it a great choice to use in desserts like pies, muffins, Chinese dessert soups, and soufflés, as well as savories such as fritters and tempuras, raviolis, and stews, etc. I must admit, I do have a favorite in the squash family - kabocha.
Kabocha is a type of Japanese winter squash. It is also known as “Japanese pumpkin” because of its similarity in appearance to pumpkin but more stout, like a boule. The skin is typically deep green or golden. It encompasses the flavors of pumpkin, chestnut and sweet potato. Its smooth texture is similar to that of russet potato.
Kabocha and I met in Tokyo when I was living there a couple of years ago. I was attracted to its seductive bright golden orange flesh outlined by a deep moss-green hard skin, and the measly 150 yen price tag (equivalent to $1.25 then). I did not hesitate for a second and brought one home, that is after inspecting through 50 kabochas to make sure I get “the one.” Sadly to admit, my obsessively meticulous nit-picking is hardly unique to this instance…
I was still a stranger to kabocha in the beginning and resorted to the proverbial “roasting,” in my oven toaster. As I came to understand its qualities and particularities over time, our repertoire expanded to soups, stews, desserts (i.e. kabocha and chocolate mochi balls), etc. I was not lost in translation.
Needless to way, when I saw a mountain pile of kabocha at CSA pickup a month ago, a nostalgia of excitement and familiarity overcame me, like a reunion between two long-lost lovers. Out of politeness, I did not rummage through the pile. Instead, I used my discriminating eyes and picked one that had relatively even-colored smooth skin with a deep golden orange flesh.
I celebrated the occasion by starting out on a sweet note: Autumn Sweet Azuki Bean Dessert Soup. The honey sweetness of kabocha is one of a myriad of reasons why I love it. But what I adore most about kabocha is its complimentary quality of absorbing other flavors while not losing sight of its own, at least in most circumstances. Thus it is great in stews. Since I inevitably succumb to soups and stews when fall makes its greeting, kabocha could not have come at a better time.
I hope you will take the chance to get to know Kabocha better.
* I apologize in advance for providing insufficient measurements.
Five Spice Braised Beef and Kabocha
INGREDIENTS
Chuck Beef Cubes 1 lb
Kabocha 1/4 of a whole (cut in 1 1/2 inch cubes)
Onion (pearl white onions would be great)
Garlic 3 cloves (smashed whole cloves)
Five Spice
Cinnamon
Brown Sugar
Regular Soy Sauce
Water or beef stock 4 times as much as the beef.
1. Please use common sense.
2. Brown beef in hot well-greased pan on medium-high heat.
3. Saute onions, garlic in a clean hot well-greased pan until almost translucent.
4. Add in beef, spices, water, sugar, soy and simmer for 2 1/2 hours covered after it comes to a boil.
5. Add kabocha and simmer for 30 more minutes.
Note: You can use a mixture of vegetable oil and butter for sauteing to enhance flavor.
Gnocchi with Chestnut Butter Sauce
INGREDIENTS
Gnocchi 4 oz. (mine was store-bought)
Chestnuts ~20 pieces (roasted and peeled. ready-to-eat packages available in Asian markets)
Butter ~ 2 TBSP
Milk ~ 1/4 cup
Salt as needed
1. Please use common sense.
2. Cook gnocchi as instructed on the package.
While the gnocchi is cooking…
3. Break the chestnuts into smaller pieces.
4. Puree chestnuts and milk in a blender.
5. Heat chestnut puree in a sauce pot and add butter. Stir until well blended.
6. Add salt.
7. Smother the gnocchi with the sauce!
Sauteed Shimeji
INGREDIENTS
Shimeji 1 small package
Garlic 2 cloves (finely chopped)
Red Cooking Wine 1 TBSP
Butter as needed
Parsley as needed (roughly chopped)
Salt and Pepper as needed
1. Toss garlic in heated buttered pan and saute on medium for a minute or two.
2. Add washed clean shimeji pieces. Saute until the mushrooms are kind of limp.
3. Add red wine and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley.
As always, ENJOY!
