IN THIS ISSUE:

Back in Business

Happy New Year!

Happy Year of the Rooster

In the News

The Good News

Recipes From Readers

Quickies

More Australian Cookbooks!!!

Ponzu

Letters

Help Wanted

BACK IN BUSINESS

What stated out to be a short sabbatical because I was burned out writing turned into a two-year hiatus!!! During that time, we got a dog (a Japanese Spitz), moved to the suburbs (note my new address on the last page), my husband had more surgery (a defibrillator implant), and our son moved back from Montreal and started his own tattoo & bodypiercing business in a historic Chinatown location. (And here you thought life in Hawaii was laid-back!)

But I’m back ready to roll. If you have a snailmail subscription to GourMAsia, your subscription will be extended by the number of issues you have left.

Please update the info you have on file with me to make sure I have your correct email and snailmail address.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu! (Japanese); Gung Hay Fat Choy! (Cantonese); Chuc Mung Nam Moi! (Vietnamese); Sawadee Pimai! (Thai); Saehae Pok Mani Padushipshio! (Korean); Selamat Hari Raya! (Malay); Manigong Bagong Taon! (Tagalog); Bulahang Bag-Ong Tuig! (Ilocano); Hauoli Makihiki Hou! (Hawaiian). However you say it, Happy New Year!

HAPPY YEAR OF THE ROOSTER!

The Lunar Year of the Rooster (or Cock) begins on February 8, 2005 in US time zones (February 9th in Asia). The year is generally regarded as 4702 on the Chinese calendar, though some say it is 4703 because of a difference of eight days in the starting count of the Chinese calendar.

The Vietnamese celebrate the Lunar New Year as Tet Nguyen Dan, and some Koreans celebrate it as Ku Jung (though most Koreans nowadays celebrate New Year’s on January 1st). The Japanese also recognize 2005 as the Year of the Rooster but began their rooster year.

For what it’s worth, this year is a Chicken year (yin = female), not a Rooster year (yang = male), and it’s a Green (wood = green) Chicken year to boot, according to the 60-year Chinese zodiac cycle.

Couples in Asia have been rushing to get married before the New Year begins. According to the Xia solar calendar system traditionally used by farmers to determine the start of spring, in 2005, the first day of spring occurs before the beginning of the Lunar New Year – a “blind year” that takes place about every three years. Blind years are considered unlucky for marriage, and it’s believed that women wed during the coming year will be widowed young.

According to the Chinese zodiac, people born in the Year of the Rooster are hard working, confident, and well dressed, but they can be proud and boastful.

Here’s a link with a detailed explanation about Chinese astrology: http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/2005.htm

Kikkoman has a free 28-page guide to Chinese New Year celebrations (PDF file):

http://www.kikkoman-usa.com/_pages/consumer/offers/pdfs/Kikkoman_CNY_Guide.pdf

And get a virtual fortune cookie here:

http://web-holidays.com/lunar/cfortune.htm

By the way, don’t eat chicken during this year’s Lunar New Year’s celebration. It’s supposed to be a lucky bird!

Here are a few treats to help celebrate:

Stuffed Chinese Mushrooms (China)

These would make a nice starter for a dinner party.

Serves 4 as an appetizer

1 scallion, white part only, minced

8 water chestnuts, finely chopped

1/2 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

24 large fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed

about 1 cup reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

1 egg, lightly beaten

Combine first 7 ingredients for the filling, mixing well. Place 1 heaping tablespoon mixture on each of 12 mushroom caps. Top with the remaining mushroom caps and press firmly together.

Arrange in an oiled skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat 25 to 30 minutes, until pork is cooked; remove mushrooms to a platter or individual serving plates.

Add enough broth to the liquid in the pan to make about 1 cup. Heat. Whisk in egg. cooking gently until egg white separates into threads. Pour the sauce over mushrooms and serve hot.

Lo Bok Go (Chinese New Year Radish “Cake”)

This is not a cake in the Western sense, but a kind of savory pate. Chinese Radish Cake is traditional at Chinese New Year’s, where it represents good fortune. It is also a classic item on dim sum menus. All the specialized ingredients can be found in Chinese markets.

Makes one 9” round cake, Serves 6-8

10 dried scallops, soaked in water overnight to soften OR 6 Chinese sausages

8 ounces Chinese dried mushrooms, soaked overnight in water to soften

(optional) 1/3 cup dried shrimp, soaked overnight in water to soften

3 large daikon radishes (lo bok in Chinese)

2/3 pound rice flour*

2 teaspoons salt

1-1/2 teaspoons 5-spice powder

1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder

1 tablespoon white pepper

2 slices ginger

3 tablespoons oil

3 scallions, minced (garnish)

hoisin sauce, for serving

* Be sure you get regular rice flour, not the “glutinous sweet rice flour” used for pastries.

If using scallops, drain, then shred into fine shreds. Chop drained mushrooms, shrimp (if using) and Chinese sausages into small pieces. Set aside. Peel and shred radish, set aside.

Heat wok (or a large skillet) until hot with 2 tablespoons oil. Stir-fry chopped mushrooms, sausages, shrimps and/or scallop shreds 30 seconds. Remove and set aside.

Add 1 more tablespoon oil. Stir-fry ginger a few seconds, until fragrant, then add the shredded radish and toss constantly for about 3 minutes. (Do not drain any liquid that forms in the wok.)

Return the reserved stir-fried mushroom mixture to the wok. Sprinkle with salt, 5-spice powder, chicken bouillon powder, and white pepper. Toss until evenly distributed. Remove and discard the ginger slices.

Turn off heat. Slowly add rice flour, using chopsticks or a whisk to mix in evenly (about 2 minutes).

Pour into a greased 9x2” deep round cake pan.

Place on a rack over boiling water in a covered wok or other large pan (if you have a large bamboo steamer, you can use that). Steam over simmering water 45 minutes to 1 hour, until cake tests done with a toothpick.

Slice into brownie-size squares and serve hot, sprinkled with scallions and drizzled with hoisin sauce. Alternately, pan-fry the squares in a little oil until golden brown, then garnish and serve.

Loong Peng (Dragon Cookies)

In multiethnic Malaysia, with its large populations of Malays, Chinese, and Indians, everyone celebrates Chinese New Year (often abbreviated as CNY) with a food frenzy usually reserved for Christmas in the United States. Besides going to family and restaurant dinners, one CNY tradition is serving and exchanging fancy Western-style cookies, whether bakery-bought or homemade.

One such treat that appears only during the Chinese New Year is these Dragon Cookies. These spritz-like cookies are unique in that they contain cornstarch and tapioca flour instead of flour. This gives them an especially tender texture. Tapioca flour (also called tapioca starch) is available in Asian markets.

Makes 4 dozen

2/3 cup unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups cornstarch
1 heaping tablespoon tapioca flour
2 tablespoons powdered milk
red food coloring

Line cookie sheets with non-stick parchment paper, and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cream butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and
vanilla.
Sift together the cornstarch, tapioca flour, and powdered milk. Incorporate into the butter mixture, mixing to form a soft, smooth dough.

Put mixture into cookie press fitted with 1/2” star tube. Pipe cookies into 2” long S shapes (these are the dragons). Using toothpicks, place 2 dots with red food coloring at one end of the S to resemble “eyes.”

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until pale golden.

IN THE NEWS

Some days it seems like there’s no good news coming out of Asia. First SARS, then bird flu, most recently the tsunami…

SARS

SARS changed eating habits in countries affected by the disease, and in Chinatowns abroad as perceptions of low hygiene standards kept shoppers and diners away from traditional open markets and stalls.

SARS fears have calmed down, however, as 2004 did not bring a repeat of 2002-2003’s deadly epidemic. In an effort to prevent future resurgences of the deadly disease, in fall 2004, China banned selling civets in live animal markets or serving them as food. Civet is one of the main ingredients in the exotic wildlife dish “dragon-tiger-phoenix soup.”

Jonathan Epstein, a veterinarian and wildlife epidemiologist at the Wildlife Trusts Consortium for Conservation Medicine in Palisades, NY, told National Geographic News, “Diseases such as SARS, HIV/AIDS, and monkeypox emerged because we increased our contact with wild animals by moving into their habitat, using them as food, or transporting them as part of a global pet and food trade.”

Let us hope that cleaning up Asia’s exotic animal markets and banning these animals from menus is enough to rid this disease from the world.

Bird Flu

No such luck when it comes to avian influenza (bird flu), which continues to ravage farms across Asia. More than 100 million chickens and ducks either died from the disease or were culled in affected areas in 2003-early 2004. Scientists are deeply worried that a more widespread strain of the virus has become more virulent and has the potential to cause a human pandemic if it mixes with human viruses. At least 41 people – mostly handlers of live poultry – have died from bird flu in Vietnam and Thailand. One human-to-human case is suspected. The human fatality rate from the disease has been about 70%.

Effects of the Tsunami

My deepest condolences go out to anyone whose family or friends were affected by the tsunami in Southeast Asia.

The Southeast Asia tsunami victims still need support. If you are able to contribute in some way, please do so.

The need to establish sources of potable water and transportation for food supplies remains high in many areas ravaged by the tsunami. Besides limiting immediate access to food and drinking water, the tsunami destroyed farmland and fisheries, affecting long-term food supply and people’s livelihoods.

Here in the U.S., the shrimp market could feel the effects of the tsunami, because it wiped out many Southeast Asian aquaculture farms. About 88% of all shrimp eaten in the USA is imported. Thailand, the largest exporter of farmed shrimp to the USA, lost most of its shrimp larvae farms; India, the third-largest exporter, also suffered heavy damage. Asian shrimp have also been the center of a trade dispute by U.S. shrimpers who accuse Asian countries of flooding the market with low-priced shrimp. Both problems could pave the way for higher shrimp prices in the future.

THE GOOD NEWS

Chewing Gum Legalized in Singapore

Chewing gum is now on store shelves in Singapore after the government decided to end a ban on chewing gum that was in place since 1992. But gum purchasers will have to submit their identification cards before they can buy a pack.

Rice Balls to Go American at 7-Eleven

In a May 2004 interview, the CEO of convenience store chain 7-Eleven said that he would like to bring one of the most popular fast food items in Japan, onigiri, or rice balls, to 7-Eleven stores in the USA. Onigiri, which are about as popular in Japan as sandwiches are here, consist of rice wrapped in seaweed and stuffed with ingredients such as grilled salmon, pickled plums, or cod roe. They’re big sellers at 7-Eleven stores in Japan. The chain is looking to develop varieties to tempt American consumers – maybe barbecued pulled pork or Cajun beans. 7-Eleven already sells sushi in some stores in California, New York, and Hawaii. Japanese retailer Ito-Yokado owns the majority of the company’s stock.

Health Benefits from Cilantro and Curry

Cilantro, an herb popular in Asian and Mexican cuisines, contains a compound that kills salmonella bacteria, found a study by the University of California, Berkeley, researchers. It is not potent enough to fight food poisoning in naturally occurring amounts, but scientists hope it can be developed into a safe food additive to help prevent foodborne illness.

Meanwhile, researchers at UCLA have shown that curcumin, the spice compound that gives curry its yellow color, may ward off Alzheimer’s disease. Its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties make it an attractive possibility for treating diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, and heart disease. For centuries, doctors practicing traditional Indian medicine have safely prescribed curcumin in extract form for a variety of illnesses and ailments. India has among the world’s lowest rates of Alzheimer’s disease.

Think Wasabi Clears Your Sinuses?

Is wasabi really a natural decongestant? Although many people say that the pungent Japanese condiment helps clear their sinuses, a sushi-loving otolaryngologist who measured the nasal airways of 22 volunteers after eating wasabi found that 15 participants’ nasal passages actually grew narrower after eating it, while 7 “opened up a little bit.” More research is needed on the subject, he says. (Volunteers, anyone?)

Premium Kobe-Style Beef and Kurobuta Pork Now Available in USA

Kobe cattle are legendary for their tender meat – and for the massages and beer-laced diet they’re given. Now, premium Kobe-style beef is now available in some U.S. supermarkets. The beef comes from Wagyu cattle, which have been selectively bred to be genetically predisposed to intense marbling while having a higher percentage of unsaturated fat than any other breed of cattle in the world.

Most “Kobe-style beef” sold here is raised in the United States in a free-range environment (but without the massages and beer). The American cattle meet the criteria for “natural” beef, raised without growth hormones or GMO feed. Idaho’s Snake River Farms produces 70% of the Wagyu beef sold in the United States.

Snake River Farms is also producing American-raised “kurobuta” (“black hog”) pork, developed from purebred Berkshire swine brought to Japan in the 19th century as a gift from the British government and selectively bred since then for their superior taste, texture, and marbling. Unlike “the other white meat,” kurobuta pork is a dark rose in color.

Both products are the darlings of trendy restaurants, and are also being sold in upscale butcher shops. The stuff ain’t cheap: Wagyu beef (boneless sirloin cut) retails for about $55 a pound at fancy butcher shops; kurobuta pork about $25 for a boneless 10-ounce tenderloin. (That’s still cheaper than in Japan, where a Kobe steak dinner can easily run $300.) Don’t look for it at your local Wal-Mart.

RECIPES FROM READERS

Sup Kambing – Lamb Soup (Malaysia)

Recipe from SIG Member Michelle Chen

“The sup kamping sold at hawker stalls generally does not include carrots and potatoes but we add it to our version to make the soup tastier and more substantial. If you don’t want the vegetables, you can omit them. This is good to serve with some Indian flat bread such as naan or chapati.”

Serves 4

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

1 teaspoon white peppercorns

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

5 shallots, thickly sliced

5 cloves garlic, thickly sliced

2” piece ginger, thickly sliced

1 fresh red chile, cut into 1” lengths

5 to 7 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

3 tablespoons oil

2” length cinnamon stick

4 cardamom pods

4 cloves

1 star anise

2 tablespoons flour

1-1/4 pounds lamb on the bone (from the ribs,

shoulder, or shin), bones and fat removed and

meat cut into 2” cubes

2 large or 4 medium tomatoes, cut in wedges

6 cups water

1 small carrot, thickly sliced

1 medium potato, peeled and cubed

1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges

salt to taste

2 to 3 tablespoons crisply fried sliced shallots

(garnish)

2 to 3 tablespoons sliced celery leaves

To prepare the spice mix, place coriander seeds and peppercorns in a small pan over low heat and roast until fragrant, about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the cumin seeds and roast for another 2 minutes. Let cool slightly before grinding finely in a mortar and pestle or an electric spice or coffee grinder.

Place shallots, garlic, ginger, and chile in an electric blender. Add just enough water – a about 5 to 7 tablespoonfuls – to allow the blades to grind the mixture finely. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the ground spice mix and the turmeric. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and star anise. Fry the whole spices 30 seconds before adding

the spice mix. Continue frying over low heat until the mixture begins to brown and the oil

separates. Dust in the flour and stir to make a smooth paste.

Add lamb to the pan and when it starts to brown around the edges, add tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes until tomatoes start to soften, then pour in the 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until meat is tender, adding another cup of water if the soup seems too thick.

Add all the vegetables, salt to taste, and cook another 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Ladle soup into individual bowls and serve hot, garnished with a spoonful of fried shallots and sliced celery leaves.

Chicken Satay (Malaysia)

Recipe from SIG Member Stephen Dasen

“This is a well-tested recipe and I hope you will find it easy to grill.”

Spice Paste:
10 shallots (French onions)
6 stalks lemongrass or equivalent in powder form
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
4 tablespoons oil

Satay Ingredients:
chicken breast fillet, cut in cubes

1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
bamboo skewer sticks, soaked overnight in water to prevent burning

Chop the spice paste ingredients and blend together with oil until fine. Combine blended paste with chicken, red pepper, sugar, salt and turmeric powder and marinate, refrigerated, for 12 hours.

When ready to cook, thread 4 to5 pieces of chicken onto each skewer. Grill, constantly brushing with crushed lemongrass dipped in oil. Turn frequently to prevent burning.

Serve with small bowls of Satay Dipping Sauce, sliced cucumber, sliced raw onion, and compressed rice.

Satay Dipping Sauce

Spice Paste:
6 to 8 dried red peppers, seeds removed, soaked in hot water until pliable
10 cloves garlic
6 shallots (French onions)
6 stalks lemongrass or equivalent in powdered form
2 thumb-size pieces fresh ginger
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds

Sauce Ingredients:

2 cups dry roasted skinless peanuts
1/2 cup oil
2 heaped tablespoon tamarind pulp, soaked in 4 tablespoons water, discard the seeds – tamarind is available at Asian food stores
2 cups water
2 tablespoons sugar
salt to taste

Crush the peanuts coarsely and set aside. Chop the spice paste ingredients and blend until fine. Heat oil and fry spice paste together with tamarind pulp until fragrant, adding the 2 cups water a little at a time. Add sugar, salt and peanuts. Mix thoroughly and set aside. Serve at room temperature with satay.

QUICKIES

Pan-Asian Chicken Fingers

Serves 4 as a meal; 6 as an appetizer

Speaking of satay, this recipe is fast to make, and the dip is very adaptable to what you have in the house.

3 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons fish sauce OR soy sauce

2 tablespoons lemon juice OR rice vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce OR barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided

1 pound chicken tenders (chicken breast fillets)

In small bowl, blend together peanut butter, fish sauce or soy sauce, lemon juice or vinegar, honey, hoisin sauce or barbecue sauce, and 1 tablespoon sesame oil. If the dip seems too thick, stir in up to 2 tablespoons water.

The strips of chicken can be threaded onto skewers, however, it is easier to broil or grill them without skewers. Pat chicken dry. Brush with remaining sesame oil. Grill chicken on greased grill over medium-high heat or broil for 3 to 4 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Serve hot or warm with the dip.

Pineapple with Mint

I live in Hawaii and never heard of serving pineapple this way till getting this recipe from a friend! It’s amazingly simple and can be adapted to serve any number of guests.

pineapple

sugar

fresh mint

Take a fresh, ripe pineapple, cut off the ends, peel the skin off with a knife, and cut the fruit into quarters. Slice each quarter lengthways as thinly as you can and place the slices on a large platter in one or two layers.

Put 4 heaping tablespoons of granulated sugar into a mortar, along with a handful of roughly chopped fresh mint. “Bash the heck out of the sugar and mint mixture, until the sugar changes color.”

Sprinkle the sugar/mint mixture over the pineapple slices. Leave it for about 30 minutes, and serve.

My friend concludes, “It is sooooooo yummy!”

MORE AUSTRALIAN COOKBOOKS!!!

You may have heard me rave about the Australian Women’s Weekly cookbook series, which is not readily available in the United States except by direct online order http://magshop.com.au/ACPBooks.asp?CID=530

or at eBay for older titles.

A few months ago, however, I discovered a similar, equally wonderful cookbook series at my local Borders bookstore. Published by Bay Books, an imprint of Murdoch Magazines (Australia), the Step-by-Step Confident Cooking series includes titles such as Quick Short Recipe Cookbook, Thai Cooking, and Delicious Noodles. Each cookbook is magazine-sized, about 112 pages, printed on slick, heavy paper, with double-tested recipes and full-color photos of every dish. If that weren’t enough to entice you, these books are promotionally priced at just $2.99 apiece!!! They’re not available online and sell out quickly, so you’ll just have to check your local bookstore often.

Here’s a recipe I tried that’s adapted from Delicious Noodles:

Soba Salad with Salmon, Avocado, and Ponzu Dressing (Japan)

Don’t be put off by the long instructions. This dish is very easy to assemble, and absolutely delicious.

Serves 4, recipe may be halved

1 pound salmon fillet

salt

400 grams (2 packages) dried soba

(buckwheat noodles) OR 1 package refrigerated

spinach angel hair pasta

1 avocado

3 tablespoons shredded pickled ginger

1 bunch mizuna OR cilantro, leaves only

1/3 cup ponzu sauce OR 1/4 cup reduced-

sodium soy sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon

lemon juice

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (garnish)

Sprinkle salmon lightly with salt. Broil until fish flakes when tested with a fork. Remove from the broiler and let cool.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil over high heat. Add the noodles and stir to separate. Return to the boil and add 1 cup cold water. Repeat this step 2 to 4 times, adding cold water just as the water in the pan comes to a boil. (This Japanese cooking trick allows the noodles to cook without boiling over.) Test a noodle for tenderness by tasting or breaking off a bit. It should be al dente – tender to the bite and cooked through (with no white core in the center), but not mushy. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until the noodles are cold.

Halve the avocado, discard the pit (or save it to plant!), peel, and slice avocado in quarters then crosswise strips.

Combine noodles, avocado, ginger, and mizuna or cilantro in a large bowl. Flake the salmon with a fork and add to the noodles along with any juices, then add the ponzu sauce and toss gently until combined. Divide the salad among individual serving plates. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.

Notes About Ingredients

· Soba, ponzu sauce, and pickled ginger are available in Japanese markets; soba and occasionally pickled ginger are also available in health food stores.

· The original recipe called for regular soba (buckwheat noodles), but I made it with cha-soba (green tea-flavored buckwheat noodles) and contrast of the pink salmon with the green noodles made it picture-pretty, as well as delicious.

· If you can’t find cha-soba, you can also substitute refrigerated spinach angel hair pasta, which has a surprisingly similar flavor.

· For more information about ponzu sauce, see the separate article below.

· For the pickled ginger, it’s easiest to use beni-shoga, red pickled ginger that comes already shredded. If you buy the pink pickled ginger served at sushi bars, just shred it yourself.

· I substituted cilantro for the less- readily-available mizuna salad greens originally called for. Fresh mizuna is occasionally available in upscale produce departments.

PONZU

Ponzu is a traditional Japanese citrus-flavored soy sauce and dressing that is becoming newly trendy. You can use it as a dipping sauce for sashimi, nabe dishes like shabu-shabu, and even fried chicken. It’s also great as a low-cal salad dressing or, as used in this recipe, on pasta.

At once sweet, sour, salty, and even a little bitter, it’s traditionally made with the juice of a yuzu, a yellow, lime-like citrus fruit (also known as kalamansi in the Philippines), or sudachi, a similar green citrus available only in summer. The difficulty of finding these fruits in the USA makes it hard to replicate ponzu’s enchanting flavor from scratch. Once, I tried making it with bottled yuzu juice and – in a word – don’t. Some lime green bottled liquid labeled “ponzu” in English is equally acidic and awful.

I happen to like the flavor of Kikkoman’s new bottled Ponzu Sauce (available in Asian stores and supermarkets), which tastes like the ponzu sauce I remember from Japan. If you can’t find Kikkoman Ponzu sauce, you can try another Japanese brand (make sure it looks dark brown, like soy sauce!). Or, in a pinch, mix 4 parts reduced-sodium Japanese soy sauce with 1 part fresh lemon juice – but that lacks the depth of flavor of the real thing.

Shabu-Shabu (Japan)

Shabu-shabu is one of Japan’s most popular cook-at-the-table dishes. A wonderful dish for dinner parties, it’s the Japanese version of beef fondue, except the ingredients are cooked in broth instead of oil. Shabu-shabu (“swish-swish”) is named for the sound a very thin slice of beef makes as it is swished through the broth.

Serves 4

1-1/2 pounds tender beef (cut into paper-thin

slices*)

8 fresh shiitake or large white button mushrooms, stems removed and discarded, caps

scored with an X

4 to 8 scallions, cut in diagonal 1-1/2” lengths

4 ounces shungiku (edible chrysanthemum

leaves) OR spinach OR watercress, stems

trimmed

6 leaves Napa or Chinese cabbage, cut in 1-1/2”

squares

2 cakes tofu, cut in 1-1/2” cubes

6 cups dashi or reduced-sodium chicken broth

ponzu sauce for dipping

2 additional scallions, chopped

3” length of daikon, peeled and grated

*You can find beef sliced for shabu-shabu at Asian markets. To slice it yourself, choose a thick cut of beef and freeze for 30 minutes, then slice very thinly across the grain with a sharp knife.)

Arrange sliced beef on one platter and vegetables and tofu on another platter.

Place arranged platters on the dining table. Set each guest place with a dinner plate, bamboo or wooden chopsticks, and a small side bowl each of ponzu sauce, grated daikon (pinched into a mountain shape with your fingers), and chopped scallions. (The grated daikon and chopped scallions are used to season the ponzu sauce if desired.) Also place a ladle or large serving spoon on the table along with an empty soup or cereal bowl. (This is to discard any foam skimmed from the surface of the boiling pot.)

At the table, bring dashi or chicken broth to a boil in an electric casserole or fondue pot (I use my electric wok).

Each eater picks up one of the ingredients and swishes (shabu-shabu) it around in the pot until cooked to desired doneness. Dip meat and vegetables in ponzu sauce seasoned with daikon and scallions as desired. The broth can be served as a soup after the ingredients have been eaten.

Serve with hot steamed rice if desired. Enjoy!

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS?

Ever wonder what those mysteriously labeled jars and cans you see at an Asian market really contain?

In doing some work-related research, I came across an extensive website for an Asian food wholesaler, that provides a photographic catalog of thousands of items carried. Unfortunately, the company doesn’t sell retail, but you can search by keyword or browse products by country.

Golden Country Oriental Food LLC:

http://www.goldencountry.com/index.htm

A good online source for Asian groceries at reasonable prices is AsianFoodGrocer.com:

http://www.asianfoodgrocer.com/index.asp

They also have scores of Asian recipes online.

LETTERS

From online reader Laura Sullivan:

We were watching Iron Chef last night, couldn’t decide if they were serious or not, but they were using an ingredient called “swallows nests” that were really expensive... what are they? They looked like noodles, but cost $1,000’s!

Editor’s Response:

I didn't see this particular Iron Chef episode, but I'm pretty sure the Swallow’s Nests they’re referring to are the “bird's nests” used in Bird’s Nest Soup (a classic Chinese dish).

According to one of my reference books, The Lets Companion to Asian Cooking, the edible nests are the nests of a particular breed of swallow that inhabits caves and cliffs off the coast of southern China. (This part sounds really gross, but...) “The birds regurgitate bits of seaweed with their saliva and use it to make their nests.”

The reason for the high cost is twofold: 1) the nests are rare, and collecting them from the high cliffs is a dangerous job; and 2) the Chinese believe the birds’ nests are beneficial to tone the blood, making them an important medicinal food.

The price of birds’ nest soup is a little too rich for MY blood, so I’ve never tasted it!

From Laura Sullivan:

So the show is for real!!! That is so interesting... Personally, I’d rather just eat plain seaweed than the regurgitated version!!! (I prefer chewing up my own food!!! ha ha!)

Thanks for the response to my question! You are a gem in cyberspace!

From SIG Member Bob Ettlinger:

I think I speak for just about everyone in the SIG when I say that we are very appreciative of the work you do in getting out the newsletter. It’s obvious that you’re doing all or most of it alone, and I hope that it’s a labor of love. Whenever you can get back to doing it is fine with me; I enjoy reading it, and can wait for as long as it takes. Having moved to a new house a few years ago, I sympathize with you about how time-consuming it can be.

Sorry that I can’t be the one to step up to the plate and help with the newsletter. Like so many people, I’m cramming in 25 hours of stuff into each day.

HELP WANTED!

I am looking for someone to update our website, http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Sauna/5280/index.html

The latest issue online is four years old! If you know some HTML and can upload and index the more recent issues, please contact me. [email protected]

(Sorry… this is purely a volunteer task; GourMAsia is a nonprofit publication and even I don't get paid a cent for my work.)

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COMING UP…

I haven't a clue what I'm going to write about next issue!

Have any great recipes or tidbits to share? Ideas you'd like to see written up? Send 'em in!

ALOHA TILL NEXT ISSUE!

Susan