Polly's KUROMAME ANMITSU Wannabe

I get inspired while watching a TV show involving food.  There is a funny TV series on NetFlix called KANTARO and this is one of the wannabe. Just by looking at the actor's facial expression of deliciousness when he take a bite of the food you want to try it yourself.  This is the KUROMAME ANMITSU that I want to try it myself.   If you grew up in Japan you know what ANMITSU is.  The most memorable item in the bowl has always been the red cherry although that is not the main component of the dessert in ANMITSU.  But every 'kid' in our heart remember the red cherry the most.
Clean Agar Agar and Soak Agar Agar.  Normally the KANTEN (Jello) is clear type.  I chose to mix MATCHA - heaping 1 tsp of Green Tea powder in mine.  I added some liquid that agar agar is being dissolved over the heat to mix with Matcha.  Then, added it back to Kanten mixture (agar agar)
1 Agar Agar stick = 2 tsp powdered agar agar + 2 C water/500 ml
I purchased agar agar thread.  My apology, but I can't remember how I measured mine.  I will have to find my notes, but depending on how much you want to make, dissolve 1 agar agar stick in 2 C water over heat.
Or, even better, follow this site's instruction:  https://www.japancentre.com/en/recipes/1424-matcha-anmitsu-gelatin-dessert
Or https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry_items/agar-agar-kanten/
4 g of Agar Agar thread + 250 ml, so double it to 8 g of Agar Agar thread for 500 ml of water
and definitely is the site that I followed for its advised recipe.  https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry_items/agar-agar-kanten/
Clean and soak red beans overnight or beans of your choice.  I used red beans and used slow cooker to cook them over night.  I think it took two days to prevent them from getting mushy and hold its shape.

 

 

Transfer dissolved KANTEN - Jello into a dish - preferably a square or rectangular glass baking dish - 8x8 inches.

 

After KANTEN is solidified, slice them into cubes.

 

Chill KANTEN in the refrigerator and prepare the syrup.

1 to 1 ratio of Brown Sugar (I did not have black sugar), white sugar, and water.   Boil till thick but not like candy

 

Assemble all your goodies in a bowl.  Serve with syrup.

 

The green tea - MATCHA KANTEN was a perfect choice for me.  It complimented the sweet syrup and brought all other flavors in.

Accidental Pastry - Japanese DORAYAKI

Sometimes when you are trying to cook up something new and you wind up with something unexpected?  This is one of those.  I was trying to make my fluffy thick Japanese HOT'O CAKE, and I end up with Japanese sweet bean pastry - DORAYAKI

After mixing all ingredients while cooking the batter, it dawned on me that its texture is just like Japanese DORAYAKI.  Well, then, I said, "Why not?"  So here they are.
Beat 2 Large Organic Eggs Plus 6 Tbsp of Organic Cane Sugar until pale in color
It should be foamy.
Shift 1 Cup of Unbleached AP Flour, then, measure 1 Cup of Flour out.  Add 3/4 tsp of baking powder and shift again twice.
Add 1 tsp of Avocado oil, 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract, 2 Tbsp of milk.  Mix well, then, add 1/4 of egg mixture.  Mix gently, then, add some more, then, the rest.  It should be a nice thick batter.

Heat the Electric griddle to 300 to 325'F; easier to control the temperature
Apply thin coat of Avocado oil with paper towel on the griddle.

Drop some batter about 3" in diameter.

Flip when you see a slight browning at the edge, and it is beautifully browned.

 Note:  If this has been a while since you last used the griddle, be ready to sacrifice the first two to three pastry... it just seem to happens like that with my griddle.
Watch the temperature of the griddle.  It might need to turn down to 300'F or then up to 325'F.

Transfer to a plate to cool a bit.
While the pastry is being cooked over the griddle - Heat up a can of Red Bean Paste.
Heat through.
Then, cool.
Add bean paste to the bottom pastry, then, cover with another pastry.

Serve.
I ate mine with a dab of fresh sour cream.

 Enjoy!

Cream Corn Adventures

This is my testings with Canned Cream Corn.  I was hoping to remake one of our childhood favorite soup with cream corn that our mother made, but couldn't quite get it right.  But I had fun using them to make other things.
Cream Corn #1:  Cream Corn Muffins with Jalapeno and Pepperocini

 

 

 Cream Corn Muffins served with Cream Corn Soup.  Delicious!

Cream Corn #2: Curry Cream Corn RAMEN

Cream Corn #3:  Cream Corn Fried Basmati Rice with Cilantro

It was fun making them.  What were your adventures?

My RAMEN Adventure

Yes! the RAW RAMEN Noodle is finally stocked at MITSUWA market (San Jose).  I was quite lost when I didn't see them being sold for several months or I have been just missing them all these months or always sold out.  There are many other 'RAMEN set' being sold with soup mix, etc. but I just want to buy the RAW RAMEN.  This picture is from previous posting - medium thick raw RAMEN.  This time, I purchased thick RAMEN.  These RAMEN is made and cut at perfect length for the perfect "Slurping!!"

There are 4 RAMEN in a package for $3.99. 
After several tries and watching "The Mind of a Chef" on NETFLIX visiting Japan in RAMEN adventure, I noted the most visible ingredients in one of the top RAMEN chef's TSUKEMEN soup stock.    I shopped Pig Neck Bones, Pork Belly ... that I normally would not have even thought of purchasing.  I slow simmered the neck bones with all the vegetables for a day and half.  Followed one of the CHA SHU recipe and prepared Pork Belly.
The result?  It was quite good for a homemade RAMEN.  TSUKEMEN is fun to eat as usual like eating ZARUSOBA in the summer time.  I tried the first bowl for myself, then, made some for my family during Thanksgiving weekend.  It turned out great.

 

Making CHA SHU - Pork Belly

 This is TSUKEMEN - You dip RAMEN noodle in concentrated dipping sauce/soup stock.

This is MISO RAMEN served with soup together.

Bourbon Pecan Pie Tasting

This is one of the Bourbon Pecan Pie that we were gifted during Thanksgiving weekend.  And "Oh My Goodness!"  It was loadedly delicious.  It is full of unexpected flavor.  Its sweetness is well balanced.  Not overwhelmingly sweet.  Caramelized well and Bourbon taste is enjoyably refreshing.  Pecans were delicious.  Crust is all righ - puff pastry style ... as usually pastry crust doesn't hold true to itself once it is cooled off and after all the goodies on top settles down into it.
I want to try to make it myself, the next time.

Family Favorite - Baked Sweet Potatoes or Candied Sweet Potatoes

With my family, they prefer the sweet potatoes over yam.  Yam is just too moist and mushy.  That's why sweet potatoes are our choice.  My personal preference is just buy the roasted sweet potatoes from the street vendor in Japan... well that was many many years ago, but they sure make you forget the cold winter and warm your heart all the way home carrying it.  In Japan, at least in the old days, the street vendor would roast sweet potatoes on a cart.  The vendor roasts sweet potatoes by burying them in hot rock/pebbles bed above the wood burning oven underneath.  I always had fun watching him fishing for the biggest roasted sweet smelling sweet potatoes for me.  You could do the same by baking/roasting whole unpeeled sweet potatoes in the oven, but it's just not the same.  Anyways, for Thanksgiving Day dinner and for Christmas family dinner, baked sweet potatoes are always welcomed by everyone.

 Buy a bag of Organic Sweet Potatoes - hopefully NOT Jewel Yam, this is too moist, and they would turn out too mushy. Maybe Yam is fine.
I like to choose Japanese Sweet Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes - yellow or any others at the grocery store, except JEWEL Yam.
You need:
Organic Sweet Potatoes - 4 lb or 5 lb bag
Butter - Unlsalted - 1 stick - cut into 8 tablespoons size - look at the wrapper - there is measurement marking per tablespoon.
Brown Sugar - 3/4 Cup to 1 C - depending on your sweetness you want
Mini Marshmallows or large sizes shredded to small pieces  1/2 C or 1 Cup, decide if you want that much
a Baking pan
1/3 C water

Wash, Peel, and Slice the Sweet potatoes.
Place the sweet potatoes cut length wise in the baking pan.
Add 1/3 C water
Add Butter Chunks on top
Top with Brown Sugar --- you need to gauge it yourself how sweet you want.
*Because sweet potatoes are already sweet.  Do you want even 3/4 Cup of brown sugar?   Do you still want to Top it with Marshmallow at the end?  That's also very sweet.     DO NOT ADD THE MARSHMALLOW until the end.

Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil.
Bake in oven at 375'F until done - insert a knife or chopstick or fork - the potatoes should be very soft.
Doneness:  Potatoes are soft and Butter and brown sugar should be caramelized around the sweet potatoes - but not burnt. If there are whole lot of water and liquid (melted butter and natural sugar from sweet potatoes and brown sugar) still at the bottom of the pan or
If the potatoes are still hard - cover and bake again, but lower the temperature to 350'F.
When soft, remove aluminum foil.
Option:  Add marshmallow to the top.   Bake a bit long till marshmallow melts and or browned a bit.