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Cooking with Junkyard: California Rolls, Sushi – Video

Fermented bean paste? Doesn't exactly scream party in your mouth. And yet we happily slurp it in that salty, savory soup doled out every time we sit down for sushi. And that's because miso really is a flavor bomb worth knowing.

So let's start there. Miso is a broad term for pastes made from fermented cooked soybeans that are aged, sometimes for years.

Miso has origins in China, but is best known for its role in Japanese cooking, where it is used in soups, sauces, marinades, glazes and dressings.

There are many varieties of miso, which can vary widely in color and flavor intensity based on how long it is aged and which ingredients are added.

Sweet white miso, for example, is made from fermented soybeans and rice, then aged for just a few months. The result is a smooth paste with a sweet, salty, savory flavor and a light golden color. Move up to red miso — usually made with barley instead of rice and aged for up to three years — and both color and flavor get more intense.

Your best bet is to stick with sweet white miso. Its mellow savory-sweet flavor is versatile and pleasant; the stronger miso can be an acquired taste.

Misos are widely available at most grocers, usually refrigerated in the produce section alongside other Asian ingredients. While there are less expensive options, try to get an organic brand. Many cheaper varieties are poorly made and use flavor and color additives to compensate.

Now that you have it, what do you do with

it?

Soup is an obvious choice. Bring some water to a simmer and add thinly sliced veggies — carrots, shiitake mushrooms, cauliflower — and some cubed tofu. Simmer briefly, then mix 2 to 3 tablespoons of miso with 1/4 cup of water in a small cup. Add the diluted miso to the soup (this helps it dissolve better than adding miso directly to the soup). Simmer briefly, then slurp.

Miso also makes a great glaze for salmon. Mix 1/3 cup miso with 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon water, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 teaspoon wasabi powder and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Spread over salmon, then broil for 3 minutes uncovered, then another 5 minutes covered with foil.

For more ideas for using miso, check out the Off the Beaten Aisle column over on Food Network: http://bit.ly/xnSeR0. Or give in to total comfort and try it in this 20-minute-easy mac and cheese.

MISO MAC AND CHEESE

— 1 pound elbow pasta

— 1 tablespoon olive oil

— Two 3 1/2-ounce containers (2 cups) shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

— 8-ounce container creme fraiche

— 3 tablespoons sweet white miso

— 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

— 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

— 1 teaspoon garlic powder

— 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

— Salt and black pepper

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water, then drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet over medium, heat the oil. Add the mushrooms and saute until well browned, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Move the skillet off the heat. In a small bowl, mix together the creme fraiche and miso, then stir that and the Parmesan, cheddar, garlic powder and hot sauce into the mushrooms.

Once the cheese has melted, add the drained pasta. Mix, drizzling in some of the reserved pasta cooking water to get desired consistency, until the pasta is coated. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 519 calories; 123 calories from fat (24 percent of total calories); 14 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 26 mg cholesterol; 70 g carbohydrate; 30 g protein; 4 g fiber; 1,058 mg sodium.

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Got 5 minutes? lets make Sushi! – Video

Posted: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 10:18 am | Updated: 3:22 am, Wed Feb 22, 2012.

Peak Adventures, in collaboration with The WELL, hosted the 19th annual Western Regional Outdoor Leadership Conference from Feb. 17 to Feb. 19, bringing in students from 15 other universities to Sacramento State.

The conference, known as WROLC, is designed for those who are interested in the outdoor adventure lifestyle. Students who are searching for a career as outdoor adventure leaders and staff were encouraged to attend.

“We wanted to show students that you can make a living out of this career and be inspired to take one of the many paths of this field,” said Peak Adventures director Jael Young.

The event is conducted voluntarily by one of the 31 university programs under the WROLC organization. The host university is then able to plan everything for the conference.

A total of 175 people registered for WROLC this year. Attendees traveled from California, Nevada and Oregon to represent their universities.

“The goal is to keep this event as affordable as possible for students,” Young said. “Each university involved offers something to contribute to the conference. It's a community effort.”

WROLC consisted of various activities around campus such as rock climbing, kayaking, the ropes course, team building exercises, leadership workshops and outdoor cooking tutorials.

“The conference is great,” said Steven Figone, a freshman business major at Chico State. “We're given good information, have great discussions and I got to learn how to make sushi.”

One of the more popular activities was the aerial fabrics session. Students crowded around the climbing wall, waiting for a chance to test their strength and dance with the ribbons that rappelled from the ceiling.

“Students who didn't have a chance to try it during the session asked for us to do it again,” said aerial fabrics trainer Erica Lieberman, a sophomore bio engineering major at Stanford University. “We're going to set it up later on for people who missed out.”

Another highlight for the attendees was listening to the keynote speaker Jon Turk, a renowned adventure seeker, author and expeditioner.

“His mannerisms and the way he talked with his hands captivated me,” Figone said. “How he told his stories made me feel like I was actually there. It really is a way of life.”

Besides all of the activities that were offered throughout the three-day conference, the attendees enjoyed being given a chance to connect and build relationships with others.

“I love that we get to network and meet other people with similar interests,” said Brycen Moore, a freshman kinesiology major at Sonoma State.

Young said students are given the opportunity to do some concrete networking, gain important contacts and increase skills that will build strong leaders in the field.

Peak Adventure volunteers were content with the turnout and hoped students left satisfied with unforgettable experiences.

“I want them to leave with memories that they will never forget. We want them to be happy with what we offered here at Sac State,” said Jamie Jackson, senior early childhood education major.

The attendees were appreciative to take part in a conference that gave them the opportunity to do what they love with others who feel the same.

“We all have that same sense of adventure. We look for anything that will give us that adrenaline rush,” Lieberman said. “I am so grateful that Stanford provided the funds for us to be here.”

Maikalina Madali can be reached at anews@statehornet.com

© 2012 The State Hornet. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Huge Crabs at Japanese Seafood Market – Video

I grew up on the west coast of Ireland, where it wasn't difficult to find fantastic seafood. Back in the 1960s and '70s, fish was always eaten on Fridays, as Catholics made up 99 percent of the Irish population. As a child in Limerick and Clare, on the rare occasion that the sun would shine and the temperature would rise above freezing, we would hit the beach for the day. I have fond memories of the ubiquitous street carts selling bags of steamed seaweed and periwinkles. The adults normally ate the seaweed, and the kids went mad for the periwinkles. I'd have a bag of them in one hand and a pin needle in the other so as to retrieve each little sea snail from its home.

The coast of Ireland is dotted with small fishing villages catching arguably some of the best seafood in the world. We had beautiful stone crabs, lobster, cod, prawns, oysters, mussels, salmon, turbot, and mackerel, to name some of the more familiar varieties. I didn't realize when I left Ireland and moved to the coast of Connecticut (and later to New York, California, and finally Charleston) that I would dedicate 27 years to seafood. Indeed, it just seemed like a natural progression; I mean, if you live on the coast, you catch, cook, and eat what is available from those waters. The variety and diversity of different species is so astounding, and I suppose that's the attraction for me.

I first became serious about seafood when I lived on Connecticut's Long Island Sound. Harvesting blue point oysters, digging clams, dropping lobster pots, and catching blue fish and striped bass was remarkable. Yet it wasn't until I read an article in Bon Appétit about Gilbert Le Coze, “The Seafood Master” and the founding father of Le Bernardin, that I was inspired to merge my cooking and love of seafood. Working at Le Bernardin, initially with Le Coze and later with Eric Ripert, opened my eyes to what seafood was all about. The food preparations were so simple, so pure, and never overdone. The reverence and respect that seafood was given from the receiving door to the plate was sacred and still is today, 27 years later.

I worked at Le Bernardin for two years, and the experience left an indelible impression on me and continues to influence what I do with seafood. Le Coze would ask in his French accent: “Where is zee acidity coming from?” which probably explains why I'm a vinaigrette fanatic. Vinegar just complements lightly cooked fish and shellfish so well. Think about it: What is fish and chips without vinegar? The menu headings at Le Bernardin reflect how seafood should be prepared and eaten: simply or almost raw and barely touched.

I arrived here in 1994 (by way of California), and the city truly reminded me of Ireland. Jose De Anacleto, former chef and owner of Restaurant Million and McCrady's, hired me, and I'm sure it was because of my work at Le Bernardin. The Lowcountry presented yet another seafood experience. The emphasis back then — and still today — was to use what is fresh and available from the local waters. Chefs like De Anacleto, Frank Lee, Donald Barickman, and Louis Osteen found fresh crab in McClellanville, swordfish and shrimp in Shem Creek, and fish like black bass, triggerfish, vermillion snapper, sheepshead, and grouper caught from the open waters.

Thirteen years ago, my experience led me to Hank Holliday, who was opening a seriously dedicated Charleston seafood restaurant, respectful of the older classic preparations but also representing a more modern style. From day one at Hank's Seafood Restaurant, our goal has been to use the best possible local seafood, and there are no suppliers more local than Dan Long from Crosby's Seafood, Tommy Edwards from Shem Creek for seasonal local white shrimp, and, more recently, Mark Marhefka for fish, as well as David Belanger for caper blades oysters and clams and Kimberly Carroll for crab. This past year, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about Hank's traditions and recipes as well as the local purveyors while working on our upcoming cookbook, Cool Inside: Hank's Seafood Restaurant.

It amazes me how much seafood we process each day at our one restaurant. Chefs and restaurants now face a whole new set of challenges regarding seafood, its availability, and the costs associated with the best products. Let's face it, we all need to be responsible to our businesses and to the people we hire to make money — like it or not, that's the bottom line. So getting the correct solutions in place to help ensure both the seafood and the businesses survive is key and not simple. The S.C. Aquarium's Sustainable Seafood Initiative is doing a great service and is fundamental to ensuring the sustainability of ecosystems as a whole. The Lowcountry's unique intertidal marsh, which serves as a vital nursery system for all seafood species in our immediate waters, has to be protected in order to survive. We must be vigilant in supporting a well-balanced management system that can work for everyone, including the amazing seafood that pleases so many.

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Ric's offers seafood sales during Lent for customers who follow religous customs. Sun photograph by LISA YANICK-JONAITIS

By SUSAN FIELD
@sfield_msun

Al Renner, the meat department manager at Ric's Food Center in Mt. Pleasant shows off different seafood options at the grocery store for the Lenten season Tuesday. Sun photograph by LISA YANICK-JONAITIS

For a guy who doesn’t eat seafood, Al Renner knows a lot about the subject.

For example, on Saturday, he caught a 7-pound steelhead from a secret fishing spot on an unnamed river.

While his family dined on fish, he opted for one of his standbys, which are typically macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.

As much as he knows about seafood, Renner, who can name off popular fish choices during Lent or any other time of year, is allergic.

Renner can recite Biblical references to fish, such as when Jesus was on Earth, and tilapia was caught by fisherman and fed to the masses, earning it the nickname “St. Peter’s fish.”

Renner, the meat department manager at Ric’s Food Center in Mt. Pleasant, also knows about shrimp, lobster, king crab, salmon, pollock, stone crab, catfish and other varieties.

Part of Renner’s job at Ric’s is making sure customers have enough seafood to select, particularly during Lent, which begins today.

Even though eating seafood isn’t an option for Renner, a member of the Catholic church who observes Lent, he knows his cod from his smelt.

Pollock is a popular fish during Lent and is more than likely what was served in the form of fish sticks in school lunches over the years, Renner said.

Catfish nuggets, tilapia fillets, cod fillets and loin, and scallops are some of the favorite choices for customers during Lent, he said. Continued…

Nothing beats salmon, according to Renner.

Like most grocers, Ric’s carries a larger variety and amount of seafood during Lent, offering specials on cold water Canadian lobster tails, cooked and raw shrimp, imitation crab and lobster, Norwegian salmon and jumbo sea scallops, Renner said.

Smelt and catfish nuggets are also big sellers during Lent, Renner said, as are cod, with the loin portions being cut from the centers of fillets.

While his family eats seafood on Fridays during Lent, Renner takes it in stride, coming up with dishes that contain no meat or fish.

Born and raised in Farwell, where his children attended school and now his grandchildren attend, Renner will be in charge of putting out the Lent specials in the seafood freezer at Ric’s.

Renner also encourages seafood eaters to prepare their Lenten meals in a variety of ways, including breaded and with tartar sauce, which is on hand at the fish freezer, along with seasoned flour.

“If you get tired of eating fish one way, you can try it another,” he said.

(Susan Field is the Clare managing editor of the Morning Sun. She can be reached at sfield@michigannewspapers.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/#!/susan.k.field).

Originally posted here:
With Lent comes seafood

Food app of the week: Seafood Watch

WHAT: App gives users ocean-friendly seafood choices at nearby stores and restaurants with up-to-date recommendations and provides alternatives to seafood on the “avoid” list. Allows users to put in names of places they have found sustainable seafood. It also has a sushi guide.

WHY: Because seafood choices are confusing and recommendations can change.

FOR WHOM: Seafood lovers who want to make the healthiest, ocean-friendly choices.

AVAILABLE FOR: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android

HOW MUCH: Free

DEVELOPER: Monterey Bay Aquarium

— Kara Yorio

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Food App of the Week: Seafood Watch

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Despite the ingredient restrictions — no meat, no dairy, no eggs — vegan is hot. Vspot Cafe opened late last year in East Dallas, and the Loving Hut, a national franchise, is adding an Addison store to go with its Arlington location. The University of North Texas in Denton built the nation’s first vegan college cafeteria in 2010, and Spiral Diner, a pioneering vegan restaurant, is popping at the seams.

“In Fort Worth, we’ve reached capacity,” says Spiral Diner owner Amy McNutt. “We physically couldn’t be any busier. We’ve just reached that in Dallas.” The Fort Worth location has been open 10 years and Dallas, four.

Mean Greens at UNT, in its second full academic year, opened its doors at the beginning of the 2010 fall term. “More vegan options: It was the No. 1 request from students,” says Ken Botts, special project manager with UNT dining services. This year, the campus added vegan options to all its food outlets. “We heard students’ voices loud and clear.”

These North Texas venues and a dozen or so other restaurants, including several Asian, are blasting away at the notion that vegan means dull, monotonous, not-so-tasty food. Within the limits of vegan — no animal products of any kind, not even honey from hardworking bees — they’re creating delicious, satisfying dishes. Many are easy enough to prepare at home.

“I love to go to Mean Greens,” says UNT junior Samantha McNulty. “They have the best options for healthy food that actually tastes good.” As with most of the students, she’s an omnivore who also likes her burgers and chicken.

“The kids like the pasta dishes,” says UNT operations chef Wanda White, who created the recipes. “Any fresh pasta with fresh herbs, garlic, tomatoes and roasted and grilled vegetables. They like when we do Mexican dishes.”

For Spiral Diner first-timers or the vegan-shy, Ms. McNutt recommends a hamburger. “It comforting, filling and familiar,” she says. The menu offers a choice of patties that includes a marinated portobello mushroom, which is easy to slap on the grill at home. A two-ingredient chipotle mayonnaise, made with eggless mayo, gives a kick.

Dipping your toe into vegan at home for the first time? You don’t even have to use tofu, if you include plenty of grains and legumes in the mix for protein. There’s no tofu at Vspot Cafe, and only a handful of dishes call for it at UNT. Spiral Diner uses some ersatz products, such as soy cheese, but these have improved so much in recent years that they make vegan fare remarkably friendly. I can attest that Spiral Diner’s quesadillas are terrifically cheesy.

It’s no surprise that when UNT staffers were doing research, there were many field trips to Dallas. “We went to Spiral Diner, to Kalachandji’s, to Cosmic Cafe,” says Botts, who happens to be vegan. The latter are vegetarian restaurants with vegan options.

“There are a lot of places out there,” he says. “It’s interesting that this is happening in Texas, the land of beef and cattle.”

Kim Pierce is a Dallas freelance writer.

Mean Greens at UNT

Mean Greens in the Maple Hall is open to the public 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. It’s $6.75 for all you can eat. The menus change daily, and in addition to a salad bar, there’s a made-to-order panini bar and a pizza bar. The cafeteria serves veggie sushi, too. Maple Hall is at 1621 Maple St., at Avenue C, Denton.

RECIPES

VEGAN PENNE PASTA WITH SAUTÉED VEGGIES

• 2 quarts water

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 8 ounces vegan (eggless) penne pasta

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 medium onion, sliced in rings (see Notes)

• 1 red bell pepper, julienne

• 2 yellow squash, julienne

• 2 zucchini squash, julienne

• 1/4 cup fresh basil (about a bunch), chopped or chiffonade (see Notes)

Bring water and salt to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Do not overcook. (Hint: Remove and drain 1 minute less than recommended cooking time for al dente texture.) Place drained pasta in a large mixing bowl and keep warm.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, stirring continually until it becomes aromatic. Add the onions and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining vegetables and cook just until al dente, 3 to 5 minutes total. Do not stir continually. Let the veggies brown, tossing only once or twice. Add to pasta; add salt to taste. Add basil and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Notes: Almost any vegetables can be substituted in this recipe. Just remember to sauté them in order of density, i.e. carrots, onions, squash. To chiffonade basil, stack leaves and roll, cigar-style. Using a very sharp knife, to reduce bruising of the basil, cut across to make thin ribbons.

Per serving: Calories 296 (15% fat), Fat 5 g (1 g sat),

No cholesterol, Sodium 620 mg, Fiber 4 g, Carbohydrates 55 g, Protein 10 g

SOURCE: Adapted from Wanda White, University of North Texas Mean Greens

VEGAN VEGGIE TAMALE PIE

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped

• 2 celery ribs, chopped

• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and chiles, drained

• 3 1/4 teaspoons chili powder (divided use)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup vegetable broth

• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

• Salt and pepper

• 1 (4-ounce) can chopped mild green chiles, drained

• 5 ounces frozen corn

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8×8-inch pan. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, stirring continually until it becomes aromatic. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and sauté. When soft, add the kidney beans, tomatoes and chiles, 21/4 teaspoons chili powder, cumin and salt. Heat well. Set aside 1/4 of mixture. Purée remainder and combine with the portion you set aside.

Bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a saucepan and slowly stir in the cornmeal, whisking continually. Cook until thick, adding salt and pepper to taste, remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder, green chiles and corn.

Spread the bean mixture over bottom of prepared the pan. Spread cornmeal mixture on top. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cornmeal is done and golden brown on top.

Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: Calories 191 (22% fat), Fat 5 g (1 g sat), Trace cholesterol, Sodium 630 mg, Fiber 8 g,

Carbohydrates 33 g, Protein 7 g

SOURCE: Adapted from Wanda White, University of North Texas Mean Greens

EL PASO BURGER

• 4 large portobello mushroom caps

• Bottled balsamic vinaigrette

• 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

• 1 cup eggless mayonnaise

• 4 hamburger buns

• Hamburger fixings: lettuce, tomato, pickled jalapeños, red onions

• 1 cup guacamole (recipe follows)

Brush any dirt off the portobellos; trim and discard the stems so the mushrooms lie flat. Gently place in a zip-top plastic bag with enough vinaigrette to reach all surfaces. Marinate for at least 15 minutes to overnight.

Place the chipotles and their adobo sauce in a blender and blend until puréed. Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons purée into mayonnaise; reserve remaining purée for other use.

Split and toast the hamburger buns. Remove mushrooms from marinade, place on a grill over medium-high heat and cook about 2 minutes on each side, until mushrooms are seared.

Smear some chipotle mayonnaise on the buns, add the portobellos, top with your choice of the hamburger fixings, ending with the guacamole. Makes 4 servings.

Guacamole: In a bowl, gently mix the pulp of 2 ripe avocados (halved, pitted, peeled and mashed) with 2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion, 1 minced serrano chile (seeding optional), 1 to 2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro leaves, 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1 teaspoon salt. (Adapted from avocadosfrommexico.com)

Per serving: (including guacamole): Calories 490 (54% fat),

Fat 30 g (4 g sat), No cholesterol, Sodium 2,051 mg, Fiber 9 g,

Carbohydrates 48 g, Protein 10 g

SOURCE: Amy McNutt, Spiral Diner

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