Food and Crafts for All Occasions

Marinated Green Beans, Vietnamese Style

This is not a traditional Vietnamese recipe, but rather my play with Vietnamese ingredients. Quite a successful play, I should say. These beans turn out really mind blowing: slightly sweet and tart, and spicy, and savory, and packed with umami.

Japanese Style Spicy Baked Prawns

Have you ever tried baked spicy mussels in sushi bars? They use Sriracha infused mayo and garnish the mussels with flying fish roe and sesame seeds. I’m a sucker for these things. And I like the recipe even better with prawns on a half shell. Not your traditional Dynamite prawns, but super delicious and cute looking, too.

Miso Marinated Black Cod

To my taste, this is hands down the best preparation of black cod. Its natural fattiness combines so well with the sweet and salty sauce. They serve it at high end-ish Japanese restaurants, but you can easily make it at home.

Korean Carrots

First of all, I have to explain what this salad has to do with Korea because you wouldn't find this dish in Korean restaurants either here or in South Korea. Only in Russia or the countries that once were USSR republics.  

Do Chua, Vietnamese Sweet Pickled Daikon and Carrots

To continue the tasty theme of Asian style pickles, here’s another great recipe for you. Do chua is Vietnamese daikon and carrot pickles that are served alongside a variety of dishes, in salads and in famous Banh Mi sandwiches.

Sweet, Sour and Spicy Thai Style Pickled Cucumbers

My friend Amanda calls these pickles amazeballs. And I completely agree: these super easy to make pickles are truly delish. Like most Asian style pickles they are significantly sweeter than local, but the addition of spicy Thai peppers to the marinade perfectly balances out this sweetness.

Sautéed Eggplants with Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, Garlic and Dill

I don’t know what took me so long to post my best-loved eggplant recipe. I’ve been cooking it quite often for the last ten years and every time I’m amazed all over again how delicious it is. The recipe takes almost no time and effort to make, so all you busy bees out there can easily cook it on a weekday night.

Rau Ram Pesto

By pesto many mean only basil pesto, a paste-like sauce made of basil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. But, in fact, any edible herb can be turned into a pesto. Like, for instance, my favorite Asian herb rau ram. So far, it can be found only in Asian supermarkets like HT Market and Ranch 99. Though, there is a hope that it will appear in regular supermarkets in the nearest future as the interest towards Asian and other world cuisines in Seattle keeps on growing.

In the late spring, you can buy a rau ram seedling in Swansons Nursery and grow your own plant.

Tara Nabe: Japanese Black Cod and Matsutake Mushroom Soup

I am not the biggest fan of the fall in Seattle with its heavy rains and gusty winds. The only thing that somewhat reconciles me with this season is that it is a wild mushroom season as well. Chanterelles have been around for about a month; matsutake have just started and trumpets are coming to the markets and stores any day now.

On a rainy Saturday like today I love to treat Ilya and myself with some nice warming soup. Like Tara Nabe, a fantastically fragrant Japanese soup with black cod, matsutake mushrooms and mizuna. I fell in love with this soup at Nishino restaurant several years ago and reconstructed the recipe at home so we can enjoy it any time we want. Since then, I cook it whenever matsutake are in season.

Folded Chinese Buns with Kalbi Marinated Flat Iron Steak, Quick Pickled Carrots and Soy-n-Peanut Sauce

Kalbi marinade is very versatile and works not only for short ribs. Yesterday, I used it to marinade a beef flat iron steak, which then was grilled and served in folded Chinese buns along with some relishes.

Grilling Season: Kalbi

Kalbi, sometimes also pronounced as Galbi, is a Korean dish made with thin, cross-cut beef short ribs, marinated in soy sauce and sweet rice wine and then grilled to perfection. It’s an absolute winner at parties. I haven’t met a person yet, except, of course, vegetarians, who wouldn’t fall in love with these ribs.

Dashi Stock

Dashi stock is a base for many soups and sauces in Japanese and Korean cuisines. Think miso soup. Tempura dipping sauce. Udon noodle broth. Ponzu. Chawan mushi. All these contain dashi.

Spicy Miso Soup with Chicken, Mushrooms and Soba Noodles

I’m introducing a new category into my blog: quick fix. I already have one called  “easy peasy”, but easy peasy doesn’t always equal to quick. Some simple things can take quite a while to cook. Like, for instance, a majority of braised meats, which, as a rule, take no more than a half hour of prep work, but up to 5-6 hours of actual braising time. Quick fixes, on the other hand, are really fast, but not necessarily super easy to make.

Ceviche with an Asian Flair

To continue the ceviche theme, here's another one for you. This time, with an Asian flair.

Thai Curry Paste, Red and Green

Amazingly fragrant,  super spicy and a bit tart, for Thai food lovers curry paste doesn’t need any introduction. When added to sauces, soups, dumpling fillings and patties mixtures, it makes their flavor brighter and more sophisticated. And you know what, Thai curries can be used not only for Thai dishes. One of my favorite pasta dishes is sweet potato or yams stuffed ravioli in cream and Thai green curry sauce.