MITARASHI DANGO 2012 revisited

This particular YAKI DANGO (grilled DANGO) with MITARASHI (sweet teriyaki style flavored syrup) was made back in December 31st of 2013 for the New Year Welcome.  I was too busy and forgot to post this that turned out beautifully and best of all tasted great and enjoyed by everyone.

Click on the images to read comment on it for the Techniques.   The recipes are the same from previous posting at http://rockdavinci.blogspot.com/2010/06/pollys-mitarashi-yaki-dango.html
DANGO Ingredients:
250 g SHIRATAMAKO  Glutinous sweet rice
200 - 250  ml  hot water
**The amount of water depends on the type/process of Glutinous Sweet Rice you purchased.     *But Not the regular "Rice Flour".
**Start out with 150 ml of hot water, add more as you mix.  The dough should be as soft as ear lobe or marshmallow.)

 

 

MITARE Ingredient:
Sugar 100 g
Soy Sauce 50 mil
MIRIN 30 ml
Water 180 ml
KATAKURIKO (Potato starch) 20 g

Mix all liquid together, but saving 1/4 C to mix with KATAKURIKO.  Then, add the starch slur into the liquid mixture cook over medium low heat.
Stir continuously with Heat Proof spatula over medium low heat.  Liquid will evaporate quite a bit and thickens.     This process might take as long as 30 minutes
Note:  MITARASHI must be cooked until it is so thick that it would stick and cover the slippery heat proof spatula as you see on this photo.  Otherwise, the syrup would drip off the DANGO.

Take spoon and scoop the syrup, then, start wrapping the DANGO in one hand and the MITARASHI in the other spoon.  Spin around and around until all surface of the DANGO is covered. 

Polly's Easy Morning Crepes filled with Banana

I got so tired of just watching some of the beautiful crepes filled with heavenly fluffy whip cream, and it's time for action to make my own.   I was concerned with overly feeding myself with heavy whip cream... to stay on low calories, I skipped the heavy cream.

Ingredients:
Hand beat 2 large Organic eggs in a bowl.
1/2 C of whole milk
Add 1 tsp of Pure Vanilla Extract
pinch of salt
1/4 C of All Purpose Flour to start - Non-bromated, unbleached.  Keep1/3 C extra flour shifted and set aside - just in case the mixture is watery and you need add more.   
6 TB of butter
1 to 2 large banana
Fruit preserves of your choice

After beating the eggs in a bowl, add vanilla; then a pinch of salt.
Add the flour like this>>> Shift the flour again over the egg mixture with one hand and mixing the flour in with the other hand.
Make sure there is no large chunks of unmixed flour.

The texture is thin, but not watery.  If it is watery, shift some more flour in - just enough until the texture of custard that coats the back of the spoon is achieved.

Heat the flat pan.   Medium low.   Add 2 TB of butter.
Pour the crepe mixture from Outer Circle, then, ending in center with a ladle..... if this doesn't work out for you, just pour it in center of the pan.
The batter on the pan is very thin.
Let it brown - 6 min at medium low to low heat.
Loosen the edge as it gets brown.
Insert a long spatula and flip it over.   Let it brown for 6 min >> this all depends on your gas stove's BTU.  So do a visual checking.
Transfer to a plate.
Slice banana.
Sprinkle crepe with powder sugar.
Arrange banana on crepe.
Roll the crepe.
Sprinkle more powder sugar before serving.
Add fruits preserve, if desired.
Bon Appetite!

 

 

 

CHERIMOYA - Tropical Fruits Wonder

This is Cherimoya.   It is also known as soursop, ... I think.   I call it MAANG GAO.... somthing like that.  Anyone who lived in Viet-Nam or in warm climate countries know this wonderful tangy sweet fruits.  Here in California, this particular Organic Cherimoya is priced at $7.99/lb.   This one costed me $8.95.     Many of my friends have never heard of it or have seen it at the local market but never ever bought one because they don't know what it is, and it is sooo expensive compared to other tropical fruits.   So, here is a demonstration of what it is.

How to eat it:
When I bought it, it was rock hard.
I placed it in a brown paper bag for 3 days.   Checking it every day.  By 4th evening, it was ready - soft to touch.... like avocado would be.  But don't let it sat till it is mush soft - yak!  it will taste fermented.... unless that is your intention.    Wash the exterior gently with water and salt or fruit cleanser, if you have one.
Pull open the fruits or use a knife to slice it open.
It is filled with sweet tangy nodules with black seed.
I just scoop it out and ate it.
Saved all the seeds to test planting.   Left the seeds in shallow dish with some water.   Some of them already has a tail/root growing.  After two weeks in the kitchen and since our weather here in Sacramento is so crazily dry, I transferred them into a pot of soil in a hot house in my garden.  Hope they will sprout wonderfully and be able to replace the other one that got frost bitten after 9 years of care.   All my fault.  :-(

After removing seeds, you can make a great tasting Cherimoya smoothies.