Good Asian stuff

Have you heard about japanese sandwich? or have you tasted moss sandwich?? You won't believe what i've found at Asian supermarket at the North east- TnT supermarket. ( i have separate post for this wonderful supermarket so stay tuned ) Its a Nori moss sandwich.

Introducing Japanese moss sandwich wrapped in nori sheet. This sandwich has a very soft bun not crusty seasoned with japanese mayonnaise and highly season black moss. Moss is a fine seaweeds that has thin and thread like texture, The color takes on yellow to deep brown that resembles ground pork when it cooked. It cost only a $1.00 per piece. Not so bad for a better sandwich like this!! hahahahahha!!

Taro bun is  made from soft dough with yucca paste creamy fillings with some sea salt.So soft  and mild root flavor. It so easy to cook. just throw them in your basket steamer and gently steam for 10 minutes and you'll have a good snack on the mid day. A roughly $3.00 you'll get a 6 pieces in a bag. Pretty cheap!.

You can get them at the TNT Asian supermarket bakery section...

Mochi-glutinous japanese snack

Mochi is a Japanese snacks made in glutinous rice grind to fine paste and molded into ball shape. A traditional snack in japan and eaten year round specially new year. Mochi has a special fillings inside which represents the flavor. Most common fillings are red bean paste and green tea like shown in the picture, dusted by very fine caster sugar or sometimes coated with black sesame seeds, dessicated coconut or served plain


This lovely snack is extremely soft and a bit chewy. Mochi is fairly natural sweet with no artificial sweeteners added.There is a possibility to stick in between your teeth and into your upper jaw so i suggest to have a ready toothpick when eating this. I can compare this snack with the pinoy favorite snack called "PALITAW". Both are made with rice and has the same soft texture mild flavor. Mochi is like small golf size ball shape filled with rich fillings whereas palitaw is made with sticky rice shaped into half inch thick flat ball and cook in pot of boiling water until it float. ( indication that palitaw is already cooked )It has only three flavorings- sugar,toasted sesame seeds and fresh grated coconut.


Another version of mochi is sesame bean paste filling coated with black and white sesame seeds
Pretty much BUCHI but definitely not. I have never realize mochi is a great snack until i decided to buy one of the best kind,the green tea mochi. ooooohhh!!!! taste so good with smooth texture that pair nicely in my hot tea in the afternoon. For those who love rice in the their snack, this could be the best substitute to heavy rice soup or any other kind of sweets and danishes during mid day meal. You can buy Mochi in any Asian store/deli.Or in any Asian-Japanese shelves in dry supermarket. TRY it,,, I am pretty sure you'll love it,,,

NEGIMAKI

My friend Chef Alex borromeo taught me how to make sushi and negimaki. Negimaki is one of my favorite in japanese sushi.Made from very fine and tender meat like sirloin,beef tenderloin and most expensive sometimes with KOBE BEEF. Japanese restos here in calgary and back then in the Philippines serve this with very special sauces like ponzu or teriyaki but i found very sour and too sweet to my taste.
Chef Alex of BENKAY Dusit hotel manila has his own version of negimaki.His version was quite pricey because he uses KOBE BEEF instead of other meat.So expensive but the result was wonderful.I'm not that good in making sushi and negimaki but i would like to try one and replicate this succulent dish in my own way,,,

INGREDIENTS

10 oz. top sirloin
2 fresh stalks leeks, white and green part included
2 teaspoon mirin
2 tablespoon sake wine
Japanese mayo
salt and pepper

Cut sirloin lengthwise with very sharp knife ( Japanese knife not necessary). Pound with kitchen mallet if you have or just flatten it with your knife to make it thin. Careful not to tear the meat.Season with salt and pepper. Marinate meat in mirin and sake for just about 1 hour
slice leeks into 2 inches long and blanch in boiling water until tender but not mushy.
Cover your MAKISU ( bamboo sushi mat) with cling wrap. this is to prevent meat from sticking in bamboo mat and to make your negimaki looks Fantastic, and clean as well.
Lay tenderloin meat into bamboo mat,place 2 leeks at the top of the meat and roll it carefully, Secure with small toothpick and wrap again in cling wrap,Chill in cooler for a while.
Remove plastic wrap and sear the meat in a hot cast iron skillet for quick 10 minutes. I like to cook my meat to medium rare. So if possible,cook negimaki less than 10 minutes, Slice into one and half inch.place in a platter. Put Japanese mayo on top and serveperfect tandem of California maki and negimaki